Brad Guzan: Villa bigger than Southampton

Goalkeeper Brad Guzan lit the touchpaper for tonight's clash by telling the world Aston Villa are a bigger club than Southampton.

The Villa No 1, whose side take on the high-flying Saints in front of the television cameras, believes Ronald Koeman's team are punching above their weight.

Southampton are second in the table after a sensational Premier League start – all the more surprising after selling last season's top talents.

But Guzan believes if a club is organised and has a canny transfer strategy, Saints are showing what can be achieved.

He said: "If you put the right people in the right places and you spend money in the right ways and put a good starting XI together, good things can come from that.

"I think they're a testament to doing that. Not only can Villa and other clubs look at that, they can also see how they've sold players onto big European clubs.

"But do I think the club is bigger than Southampton? Probably, yes. I'd like to think so.

"At the moment, obviously we are at a different point in terms of spending money and bringing players in, for whatever reasons.

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"My job is to be goalkeeper. I don't know the reason why that is in terms of them doing that and us whatever.

"But again, you have to bring in the right players into the right situations.

"Even then, sometimes if you bring in the right players they might be homesick or whatever. There are so many things that have to come together.

"We could have this conversation again in six or seven weeks' time and there's been a change. If they go through this next run of games and they're still second, you tip your hat to them because they are the real deal."

Southampton have won 11 of their last 12 games to be unlikely top-four contenders after a summer overhaul.

In came FraservForster, Graziano Pelle, Ryan Bertrand and Dusan Tadic, who Villa tried to sign, as Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren left.

"For us, it's not so much about them as it is us," the United States international added.

"We need to make sure that come tonight, we have enough guys on the pitch who have a good night because I know we've got enough quality.

"Look at the fixtures where we took some points off the big teams last year. We know we have got that in the bag.

"We know we have the ability to win games, whether it's against a top team or a bottom team. It's all about on the day getting three points."

Guzan believes the recent point at West Ham – stopping a six-game losing sequence – represents a turning point in the campaign.

"When you lose six games on the bounce, it's extremely frustrating," said Guzan.

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't affect me, but that's when you need big characters and guys to step up and say, 'right OK, I'm going to do everything in my power to get things right'.

"Sometimes you need more than that. There are no easy games in this league, I've always said that. Going on that run of six defeats was tough because it becomes more and more challenging to stop it.

"For us the point at West Ham was massive and we need to build on that. From top to bottom we have not been at our best.

"You need guys to step up and sort the issue at hand out."

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