Steven Gerrard praised the effort and application of his players after continuing his winning start to life as Aston Villa head coach.
Goals from Matt Targett and John McGinn lifted the Villans to a second away win of the season in the Premier League, seeing off Crystal Palace 2-1.
And after winning his first game in charge at Villa Park last weekend, Gerrard was delighted to recapture that winning feeling on the road.
He said: “The opposition really felt us today. Out of possession, we were aggressive but controlled in a lot of areas and a lot of our good play came off the back of that.
“Our first half performance was superb. In the second half we had to dig in a little bit, roll our sleeves up and suffer at times.
“That’s what you’ve got to do in this league, especially in environments like this where it’s tough.
“I’m really proud of the players and their effort and application. They deserve all the plaudits that are going to come their way, but we’re not going to be able to enjoy it for too long.”
As always, the team were roared on by a tremendous away support that helped Villa to see out some nervy moments in the second half.
And once the three points were confirmed, Gerrard and his players were quick to recognise the supporters’ efforts.
“I was really pleased to see the fans in full voice at the end of the game. Two wins in two and six points from six, so I’m really pleased for them,” he said.
“We made sure all the players went over to thank them for coming today. We’re going to need them in full voice again on Wednesday.
“It’s a great start. There’s a lot to build on, a lot to work on, but I’m sure they’ll enjoy their journeys home today.”
