Source: SKY_Sports
Petrov chasing top four finish
// A bit of a hack but it works// The article snippet is wrapped onto a second line, even when #article-sub is emptyif( $("div#article-sub").children().length == 0 ) {$("div#article-sub").remove();} Stiliyan Petrov believes Aston Villa are capable of snatching a UEFA Champions League spot this season.[LNB] Martin O'Neill's side came close to breaking into the top four last term, but saw a late wobble scupper those ambitions.[LNB]The battle to secure qualification for Europe's premier club competition is as fierce as ever this year, with Manchester City, Everton, Villa and Tottenham all expected to challenge the established 'big four'.[LNB]Bulgarian playmaker Petrov insists Villa have as much right to be involved in the shake-up as any of their top flight rivals, despite having resisted the urge to spend big over the summer.[LNB]A 1-1 draw with ambitious Manchester City on Monday proved the men from the Midlands can hold their own against England's elite, and they have now set their sights on breaking the order which exists at the top of the Premier League table.[LNB]"The experience of being in the top four for much of last season was great, and we want the same again," said Villa skipper Petrov.[LNB]Encouraging"The early signs have been encouraging and we played a team on Monday in Manchester City who are trying to achieve something big, but we are trying to achieve as well.[LNB]"Manchester City will be a force because they are looking to build something big but we showed against them that we are not far from them.[LNB]"They have a chance of the top four, but we do to. We can compete at this level."[LNB]He added: "We've shown in the last three seasons that we can compete. We've had good results in that time against the top teams like Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.[LNB]"We also know what pressure means. We have had it the last two seasons and we need to cope with it again and be more consistent and we hope we can go the same way.[LNB]"The experiences of the past couple of years will also stand the younger players in good stead for the battles ahead."[LNB]
