Villa in drive for Europe

Villa go into Sunday's clash with Portsmouth five matches unbeaten which has catapulted them up to 10th.

Pompey occupy the final European spot in seventh, seven points clear of Villa, who dropped a place to 11th after Blackburn's 3-1 win over Watford last night.

Nevetheless O'Neill is focusing on finishin as high as possible. "Of course we are, absolutely right," he said. You can get egg on your face for saying this, but we have to really positively think about trying to win the last four games.

"We have got a target. We might not pick up another point, but our aim is to try and win these four games."

O'Neill will be hoping Stiliyan Petrov can continue his improvement. The Villa boss believes there are several reasons behind his below par form.

The 27-year-old, who scored his second goal for Villa in Saturday's 3-1 win at Middlesbrough, has had to settle into a new league and his pregnant wife a different environment.

Players

"If you'd said to me after his debut against West Ham – where he was absolutely immense – and a couple of games after that at Watford and Chelsea he'd have struggled I'd have found it hard to believe," said O'Neill.

"But he has struggled. I just think it's a combination of everything. I think the moving out of that environment where he was very comfortable, to come down when his wife was expecting youngsters.

"But eventually, as we all know in this modern day, people don't get time. He stepped in after the minimum of pre-season. Then he had to get to know the players and whatever system we were trying to evolve. I wouldn't discount any factor. He's been used in a different capacity to be honest.

"At Celtic we had a genuine holding midfielder, Neil Lennon, who would allow Petrov all the freedom to join Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton into the (opposition) penalty box.

"So he's had to adjust here, and in the last few games – against Wigan, the second half against Everton – he's been the one picking it up off the back four.

"So it's a different role altogether. But I've no doubts about him and he'll be better for it. I thought even before he scored in the second half at Boro he was driving forward, and I think the goal will have given him a big lift."