Robert Snodgrass calls on Aston Villa to keep pushing after hailing Preston "statement"
Robert Snodgrass has warned Villa must not let their standards slip if they want to keep pace with their Championship promotion rivals.
The winger believes Steve Bruce's men delivered a "statement" to the rest of the division by winning 2-0 at Preston on Wednesday night, a result which saw them climb back into the top six.
But Villa are quickly back in action when they host Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow and Snodgrass acknowledges there is no time to rest on their laurels.
The visitors have been beaten in the play-offs the past two seasons but currently sit 14th, six points behind Villa.
Asked if the game was something of a six-pointer, Snodgrass replied: “I think every game is, right at this moment anyway.
“All the teams around us are winning - Wolves, Sheffield United, Bristol City, while Derby are on the rise.
“There is always a group which comes together around the Christmas period that kind of says ‘right, who wants it?’
“A few wins is all it takes - you see Middlesbrough have picked up and gone from the bottom to right up there. We know people are on our coat tails so we have to be at our best.”
Snodgrass, who is on a season-long loan from West Ham, netted his second goal for Villa in Wednesday’s win at Deepdale. He also provided the corner from which James Chester headed Villa in front.
Results the previous night had seen Villa fall out of the top six and Snodgrass said: “With the results on Tuesday night we knew we had to win the game. It was massive.
“We had to go there and put a statement out to the rest of the division that we are not going anywhere.
“If anything we want to keep climbing and keep building. That is what we did on Wednesday.
“In this division you need to be ready for any challenge which comes your way. I thought we did that at Preston.
“Had we put our chances away in the second half it could have been more.”
