Pictures and analysis of Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 0

Aston Villa collected the bonus of a point at Arsenal's expense on Saturday – but the sad truth is that no longer do games against Arsene Wenger's team define their season.

If ever there was a Premier League fixture of faded glories this was it. The Gunners are locked in a civil war about just what constitutes a successful campaign at the Emirates.

Villa have no such doubts – it's all about preserving their Premier League status.

Where once these two met with Villa always striving to prove themselves against one of the finest teams in the land, they re-convened on Saturday with some classic battles of the modern age now a dimming memory.

And, as well as manager Paul Lambert's worryingly-young team conducted themselves to chisel out a point towards their quest for safety ,Villa Park emptied reasonably content but knowing the real battles are to come.

Their next three fixtures, starting against Reading tomorrow night and continuing with games against QPR and Stoke, could be the making or breaking of a project the Villa boss is struggling to sell to an increasingly anxious public.

This latest performance followed the theme of Villa Park's other grandstand occasions this season.

In the derby against Albion and the high-profile tussle with Manchester United, Lambert's young charges flew around the pitch with adrenaline-fuelled purpose.

And it was enough to knock a labouring Arsenal even further out of their stride and earn Villa a fully-merited point. But now comes the tougher test of coping with higher expectation as they tackle teams closer to their gene pool.

A victory over Reading tomorrow would work wonders for Lambert's battle to convince his public that they will, indeed, 'be alright' but these are nervous days for a Villa team which looks as if it has been beamed in from a nursery.

Seven players under the age of 23 started against the Gunners and when Ron Vlaar limped away after 51 minutes to be replaced by Eric Lichaj, the sense of depletion now reaching crisis proportions was unmistakeable.

Full marks, then, to the boys who for this game at least did a man's job, led by the impressive Ciaran Clark at centre-back and – dare we say it at last – a maturing Barry Bannan in midfield.

But this is a Villa side which is nothing without furious energy and to that end Lambert could have no complaints as he served out his touchline ban. S

adly, the same could not be said for the punters who watched, it must be admitted, a fairly drab contest of brief highlights.

Villa had enough of them to warrant their point knowing a little more composure in those key moments of execution might have earned them more.

Gabby Agbonlahor, who was another to take up the task of hounding Arsenal into a discontented performance, and Christian Benteke both had half-openings after the break which demanded a cooler finish.

Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny defied Villa with the save of the day to fingertip Brett Holman's shot on to the bar.

But it would be foolish to deny there were times when even this off-key Arsenal were able to stretch Villa and Clark's leadership.

Matthew Lowton took up the role of emergency centre-back following Vlaar's exit, was everything Lambert needs from all his players now. T

he manager's sweep of the 'young and hungry' wannabes from the outside divisions is meeting with mixed results.

Ashley Westwood is impressing, where Karim El Ahmadi continues to disappoint.

But Lambert is a man not for turning from what he believes is the best way forward, a philosophy driven home by the continuing and now quite pointed isolation of Darren Bent.

With Bent now fit again, Lambert still opted to choose another of his low budget hunches Jordan Bowery – 10 goals in 83 starts for Chesterfield – ahead of a Premier League centurion.

A few short months ago, Bent even had genuine hopes of figuring in England's challenge to reach the next World Cup.

Whether Lambert is merely making a point or signalling Bent's looming departure from Villa Park is still a subject of debate.

But by rejecting one of his most experienced and proven players, the manager is more than ever nailing his colours to the mast of his young Lions.

They gave him everything to warrant that faith on Saturday – but their greatest tests are yet to come.

By Martin Swain