Gareth Barry: Aston Villa must forget Arsenal

Villa have taken only one point from the last three league games, and their lead over the fifth-placed Arsenal has been cut to three points. But Barry, Villa's stand-in captain in the absence of the injured Martin Laursen, is adamant that they should be aiming to try and catch Liverpool and Chelsea. Barry said: "We are fourth at the moment. There is still a little gap there, and there is still a chance. "We've just got to try and see it through in the final part of the season. But we would prefer to be looking up, chasing Liverpool and Chelsea. "That is the aim, rather than thinking about Arsenal. You've always got to think like that, no matter who you are. We are still in there." Barry admits Villa's home form has given cause for concern, with 20 points dropped in front of their home fans compared to 10 wins in 14 games on their travels - despite a 2-0 midweek defeat at Manchester City. A 2-2 draw with relegation-threatened Stoke last weekend, after leading 2-0 with three minutes remaining, summed up Villa's failure to make the most of home advantage. Barry said: "It would have been nice to put the home form to rest last weekend, and we were looking at three points. But all of a sudden, we lost concentration. "It felt almost like a defeat after the game. It was a massive disappointment. We should have been able to see the game through, and it was a lesson to be learnt."  

Source: Telegraph