Match-winner Birkir Bjarnason warns Aston Villa will only get better

The Iceland international converted Conor Hourihane’s cross in the fourth minute of stoppage time to earn Steve Bruce’s men a 3-2 win over Wigan on Saturday.

It meant Villa opened the campaign with back-to-back league victories for the first time since 1999 and while Bjarnason acknowledged the performance as not the best, he is confident things will improve with time.

“It’s a great start,” he said. “Performance wise it is not the best but I think that will come. We just have to build confidence and we’ll get that from winning games. It’ll come sooner rather than later.

“We had a short pre-season. When we get into it and play more games, the performances will come.”

Villa were made to work for their win as for the second time in six days they came from behind to claim three points.

Goals from Nick Powell and Callum Connolly had put the visiting Latics in front, after James Chester had earlier opened the scoring.

But former Kidderminster defender Chey Dunkley then put through his own net, before Bjarnason pounced with just seconds remaining.

The win continued Villa’s rapid resurgence, following a fraught summer when the club faced a financial crisis.

“The mood is very good. Usually it is with this team,” said Bjarnason. “It was hard at the start of pre-season but we are looking forward and it looks good at the moment.

“I tried not to think about it too much (over the summer). Of course it is not nice to hear that about your club but we have come out of it well.”

He continued: “I’ve scored a couple of late winners before in my career. But yeah, that was fantastic to do that in front of the Holte.

“It was a great cross from Conor, I just had to get on the end of it. To score in front of them (the Holte) was unbelievable.”