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Robert Snodgrass: Aston Villa must keep "going for the jugular" in promotion race

Robert Snodgrass has urged Villa to keep ‘going for the jugular’ as they try to chase down an automatic promotion place.

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The winger reckons Steve Bruce’s team must continue to stamp their authority on opponents, after revealing players held ‘clear-the-air’ talks after last month’s defeat at Brentford.

That result left Villa sitting outside the top six. But they have since reeled off four straight wins to climb within three points of second-placed Derby, with the new attacking approach seeing them score three goals in the first 19 minutes of last weekend’s win over Barnsley.

Snodgrass said: “The last few weeks you have seen a team that is hungry, we are going for the jugular, looking to punish teams.

“You have the likes of young Jack Grealish, he is tracking back, making tackles. Birkir Bjarnason has come in and done well.

“It’s up to us to go and deliver. It’s vital we take this as a base and a platform and keep going, keep winning games.

“That is the way to get the place bouncing, from the training ground to the stadium. The fans see straight away.”

Snodgrass revealed how the 2-1 defeat at Brentford on Boxing Day prompted much soul-searching and discussion among players as they looked to get the season back on track.

Villa won 1-0 at Middlesbrough the following weekend before hammering Bristol City 5-0 on New Year’s Day.

“As players we sat down and had a chat,” said Snodgrass. “This was a very low place after Brentford. We knew it wasn’t good enough. We had to do better as a team.

“I think now it’s when you want to put a run together, when you want your big players to step up to the challenge, put their bodies on the line, take hits and create chances. We’ve done that.”