#PLStories- Steven Gerrard sets challenge to Aston Villa players after ‘proud’ victory over Brighton #AVFC
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Steven Gerrard says Aston Villa must back up their 2-0 win over Brighton with a result at Crystal Palace next weekend. Gerrard got off to a perfect start with his new club by overcoming a tricky first test against Graham Potter’s Brighton side who were unbeaten away from home this season, before making the trip to Villa Park. Ollie Watkins broke the deadlock on the 84th minute with a fine finish before Tyrone Mings put the game to bed with only minutes remaining, and Gerrard was pleased with his side’s display.
Steven Gerrard said: “It did come late and there was a couple of moments in the first half where we had to suffer and put bodies on the line and we had to get through those difficult moments. That gives you the chance to win the game at the end. Really proud of the players and there’s plenty of positives to take from the game, now the challenge for us is to try and back it up next week.”
Villa came into the game against Brighton without a win since September after their last league victory came against Manchester United at Old Trafford eight weeks ago. But Gerrard’s side were eager to turn one point into all three in the closing stages of the clash against the high-flying Seagulls. Gerrard and assistant coach Michael Beale want their team to play with energy and poise. They know it will take a period of time for their style of play to be implemented at Bodymoor Heath, but there were positive signs that their ideas are rubbing off already during the win at Villa Park.
Steven Gerrard said: “It’s what the Villa crowd demands, they want high energy, we want to be high energy, we want to be high tempo but at the same time we can’t be careless, we can’t jump out from slots because good teams will hurt us. I thought our shape and structure was really positive in the main, but there’s still stuff to work on, stuff to tweak. The coming training sessions in the coming weeks are really crucial to get everything perfect. I’ve seen a lot of application, focus, we’ve had people all over the world come back late but the players have applied themselves really well and nobody deserves this win more than the players, they’ve had a really tough time losing five in a row, but to stand up and produce the win today, they deserve a lot of credit for that.”
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