THE ARTFUL KODJIA’S AN IDEAL VILLAN
JONATHAN Kodjia celebrated Aston Villa’s best run of form for three years by adding to his own string of successes in front of goal.
The £15million that Villa invested in buying Frenchman Kodjia from Bristol City in the summer is paying off with five goals in his last five games.
Villa were a goal down to Sam Gallagher’s superb 54th minute header when Kodjia equalised four minutes later with a penalty.
Boss Steve Bruce couldn’t watch – standing on the touch line and turning his back to the pitch – but he need not of worried as Kodjia stroked his shot past Rovers keeper Jason Steele.
Kodjia followed up 12 minutes later with his second, colliding with Steele as he stabbed the ball in, and eventually had to go off with an injured foot 16 minutes from time.
He limped away to a standing ovation and five minutes later the Holte End chanted again – this time Bruce’s name in appreciation of how he has turned the team round since taking over less than a month ago.
Villa are now five games unbeaten under Bruce, their best run since 2013 and Paul Lambert, newly-named as manager of Championship neighbours Wolves, was in charge.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard the Villa fans chant my name and like what I’ve heard,” said Bruce with a smile, referring back to the stick he used to get when he was Birmingham’s boss.
“The crowd were in good voice. They want to see their team putting in the effort and they will respond to that.
“After all that’s happened at Villa in the last few years the fans deserve to see it.
“We are slowly beginning to turn this juggernaut around and winning was another step in that direction.
“Game by game we keep ticking off the statistics, the first away win, back-to-back wins, now this run. It just shows you what a big job this is.”
You wouldn’t have guessed Villa were in their best form for years until they woke up after a deadly dull start.
In the 54th minute, Gallagher put Blackburn in front from Charlie Mulgrew’s cross and it shocked Villa into life.
Jack Grealish, back in the team after a three-game suspension, took on Blackburn’s defence with a run that dared someone to make a challenge.
It was Gordon Greer who took the bait and from the moment Kodjia put his penalty away Blackburn’s resistance broke and Villa dominated.
Keeper Pierluigi Gollini had saved well from another Gallagher header in the first half but neither hot property Gallagher, with seven goals this season, nor Blackburn in general, threatened Villa again.
Steele needed to live up to his name as Villa found their attacking force but, Gary Gardner, the goalscoring hero of the previous week’s draw at Birmingham, set up Mile Jedinak who played in Kodjia for the winner.
Blackburn have not been out of the bottom four all season and despite a dismal run of one victory in their last seven games, Coyle sees a ray of hope.
“Without disrespect to Villa we out-passed them in the first half,” he said.
“But I’d say this team is not far off. We have played well enough without getting the results we deserve and I have no doubt at all that these players are good enough.”