FIFTEEN points currently separate Villa from the best team in England Liverpool.

Kenny Dalglish's Merseysiders have dropped just two points from their opening ten League fixtures. It makes a mockery of the decision to still ban Liverpool from European competitions. But it doesn't mean that Villa are necessarily poor substitutes for them in Europe. Their superb display against Inter Milan last Wednesday night is still the talk of the country.

Their inability to defeat a very disciplined Leeds United when they failed to reproduce the high level of their performance against the Italian aces does not make them particularly an Inferior outfit to the men from Anfield.

Despite manager Jozef Venglos's prescription of vitamin pills and glucose minerals to restore lost energy following the Inter game, Cowans admitted:

"We were shattered mentally as much as physically. We found it very difficult to lift ourselves.”

And yet Villa very nearly took all three points against Leeds in a hectic last two minutes with Derek Mountfield having two headers charged out by Batty on the line with Lukic tipping the rebound over his bar.

Only Platt's back prevented another powerful header from Tony Cascarino.

In the final analysis Villa were not far from climbing to sixth in the table.

There is a tremendous degree of confidence running throughout the side from goalkeeper Nigel Spink right out to the outfield players.

Perhaps they could do with brushing up on their finishing in front of goal.

But their midfield work has Improved immeasurably with Paul Birch getting better by the game.