Centre-back Chester eyes lift-off for sad Villa

Defender James Chester hopes that Aston Villa can start a resurgence by upsetting Newcastle United in tonight’s Championship clash at St James’s Park.

Steve Bruce’s side have endured a miserable start to 2017, without a win in eight games going into the meeting with a Magpies side who were relegated alongside them last season.

Villa are in desperate need of a boost against the table-topping Tynesiders, sitting just six points above the drop zone in 17th place.

Chester said: “It’s certainly a difficult game for us with where they are in the league and the run we are on.

“But it’s a game that we can look forward to, with the individuals we have in the squad, we are more than capable of going and getting a result.

“If there is a negative on their season, it’s the fact that they’ve lost a few games at home.

“Hopefully we can go there and turn our fortunes around.

“In bad moments, you find out a lot about yourself and each other, we need to talk together.

“We just need that first result to get the confidence back and get ourselves going.”

Four successive defeats have rocked Villa, but Chester is backing Bruce – who made six January signings to bolster his squad – to turn it around.

“We’re convinced by the players the gaffer’s brought in in January, and – having worked with him before at Hull City – I know we’ve certainly got the right people here to turn it around,” added the Welsh international on avfc.co.uk.

“It is something that does take a little bit of time, but the ability of the players who have been brought in, and were already here, means we should be doing better.

“But it’s certainly difficult at the moment.

“The Barnsley game (last Tuesday’s 3-1 home defeat) was a kick in the teeth – I thought we started quite brightly.

“Creating chances isn’t an issue at the moment – it’s taking them. We are also not keeping enough clean sheets at the other end.

“Hopefully if we keep creating the chances, we will take them.”