Villa challenge falters

Being a favourite it would have been sung no matter the colours of the opposition, but when Blackburn Rovers's followers burst into "Are you Burnley in disguise?" shortly after Ashley Ward had made the scoreline 2-0 with his first goal since his £4 million signing from Barnsley, Villa Park's claret and blue connection made the chant more appropriate than usual.

It was not overwhelmingly apt, it should be said, Aston Villa will have a long fall before meeting Burnley, but given that this was Rovers' first away win of the season the jibe was understandable. Villa are going through a change and, on an afternoon when Manchester United and Arsenal registered emphatic away wins and Chelsea maintained their title challenge, Villa's slip showed all the more.

Each week more is revealed: this was Villa's third losing Saturday, and two consecutive league defeats leave them out of the top three for the first time since the season's opening day.

John Gregory's hangdog demeanour suggested wilting self-belief, but Brian Kidd said he thought it premature to write off Villa. He cited "the many twists and turns" to come, and in an attempt to justify that remark and boost Villa he said of his former club United: "They'll not be complacent."

It was a flattering gesture, Kidd had just heard the score from Nottingham, yet he must know that if his old club are the yardstick then Villa are half a yard short. Still, a year ago when Villa were wallowing in 15th place they were a full yard off the pace. So progress is undeniable, it is just that their next four games, Leeds and Coventry at home and Wimbledon and Derby away, appear less winnable than they did a fortnight ago.

Kidd, meanwhile, could not hide his delight at having some forwards to choose from for the first time. "We've got all these strikers like Kevin Gallacher, Kevin Davies and Nathan Blake out injured and we've never had three fit at the same time before Saturday," he said. "Everybody keeps telling me I will have problems when they are all healthy but the day can't come quickly enough because I want that competition for places."

It is at the other end that Villa are now struggling. Gareth Southgate's 32nd-minute owngoal was just one of those things, but Riccardo Scimeca's dithering allowed Chris Sutton to muscle the ball away and supply Ward for the second after the hour. The third, from the promising Blackburn-born 19-year-old David Dunn, came via a cross and a headed scramble, two more opportunities to defend the ball.

The Burnley question had already been asked, now it is time to see if Villa are Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United in disguise.

Aston Villa: Oakes, Wright, Grayson, Southgate, Barry (Thompson 78), Watson, Taylor, Merson, Scimeca, Dublin, Joachim. Subs Not Used: Vassell, Standing, Enckelman, Samuel. Goals: Joachim 69.

Blackburn Rovers: Filan, Davidson, McAteer, Peacock, Broomes, Wilcox, Dunn, Jansen (Duff 81), McKinlay, Ward, Sutton. Subs Not Used: Davies, Croft, Flowers, Dailly. Goals: Southgate 32 og, Ward 62, Dunn 64.

Referee: K Burge (Tonypandy).