We stole it says Big Ron ARSENAL 1 ASTON VILLA 2

IF VILLA supporters enjoyed a quiet chuckle heading down the M1, they must have been shrieking with laughter on the homeward journey.

The mock football results on Danny Baker's Radio 1 Saturday morning programme suggested Arsenal nil Aston Villa seven as the Highbury scoreline.

Quite frankly, the prediction of any margin of Villa victory seemed ludicrous in the wake of their European disaster and the Gunners' seven - goal romp in Belgium.

By 4.55pm, though, the humour of the airwaves was transmitted to the new seats at Highbury’s Clock End as Villa’s travelling band of fans celebrated their team’s unlikeliest win for many a year.

Whittingham chased a Townsend pass to score a surprise equaliser via the inside of a post, and Villa's surprise turned to elation when Dean Saunders managed to drag an over-hit pass back into the middle for Townsend to slot home the shock decider.

An hour into the game, you would have struggled to find an away fan willing to bet on Ron Atkinson's men conjuring up a worthwhile goal attempt.

At that point, the height of Villa's ambition was no more than keeping defeat in respectable proportions, such was the one-sided nature of the contest.

Yet by the end they had not only stretched their unbeaten away record to 12 matches, but had cheekily sneaked off with all three points from a match in which they should have long since been buried.

Make no mistake, Villa will play much better they can hardly fail in that respect and lose.

For the time being, though, they can look forward to heir enforced break from Premiership action, content at having recovered from their Euro hangover by climbing to third in the table.

Even so, Atkinson will surely utilise his time off to evaluate Villa's best formation.

He abandoned the 4-3-3 system at Highbury, sacrificing Gordon Cowans’ cultured passes, to recall Ray Houghton in a bid for more bite.

Yet it was only in the final 20 minutes that Villa got to grips with the battle of the middle ground.

By that time Houghton established strike due Atkinson and Dean Saunders.

had been replaced by striker Guy Whittingham a telling switch. Big Ron later joked that he was a tactical genius, and no-one would argue with the cool manner in which Whit- Witham fired home Villa's equaliser after moving on to Dalian Atkinson's precise through ball. The fact remains, though, that Whittingham is only likely to command a regular place when Villa operate a three-man front line. For most of Saturday's encamfer, the big problem was getting any service to established 'bike duo Atkinson and Dean Saunders.

It was resolved, in a funny sort of way, by making the midfield lighter, but in his heart, the manager knows he can't go a seams relying on such quirks.

He may also feel just a a little uneasy about Villa’s full-back situation, for Earl Barrett is currently some way short of the form which earned him international recognition, and Bryan Small’s inexperience has been all too evident in the last two matches.

While Villa were constantly under threat down the flanks at Arsenal, though, the heart of their defence was as solid and dependable as ever.

All right, so Shaun Teale tripped lan Wright to concede a penalty, and Paul McGrath was arguably at fault when Wright turned in front of him to put the Londoners ahead.

But otherwise both men stood their ground magnificently under sustained pressure and Mark Bosnich’s brilliant spot kick save epitomised a young goalkeeper who is limply brimming over with confidence.

As his manager might say, the 21-year-old Australian keeps out penalties “for fun” following up his saves against Birmingham and Deportivo with a spectacular dive to tip Wright’s well struck shot against a post.

It was just a pity that the game ended prematurely for Bosnich when he went off with a hip injury, although there can be no complaints about the manner in which the reliable Nigel Spink deputised from the 51st minute.

Spink, too, produced an outstanding diving save when England man Wright looked certain to make it 2-0.

A second Arsenal goal at that stage, and the outcome would have been no laughing mattar for Villa.

“I didn't think either side played particularly well for long periods.

“Arsenal were better than us, but there was more life and zip in the last 20 minutes.

“At half-time there were so ma things wrong we knew, we had to just sort it out.

“We were lucky to get out of jail with three points we mugged them.

“Let’s face it, we mugged them really. We got out of jail with three points but I wasn't happy with our performance apart from the last 20 minutes. The players feel the same.

"'At least we showed the character to keep going when other sides would have folded under Arsenal's pressure.

"But Arsenal 's game is all about hounding and hussling, and for long periods they outplayed us."

Arsenal chief George Graham said: "I can only agree with Ron. It was probably our best performance at home this season but we didn't get the result we deserved."