'Aston Villa are the real deal' - Nedum Onuoha
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha was impressed by Aston Villa's game management in Sunday's 4-1 win over West Ham.
The 11th home league win in a row propelled Unai Emery's side to fifth in the Premier League.
"Initially watching the game I thought these are two good sides, I can see why West Ham are doing well and Villa are doing well," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily Podcast.
"But then the goals started to come in and that sense of belief, the set style of play, Villa didn't really budge at all from how they were playing.
"When it went to 2-1 and you saw Bowen cheering the West Ham fans on and saying 'let's go' - in fairness Villa weathered the storm and managed the game really well.
"They always had that threat but they didn't lose that composure. I think sides that can be comfortable in the lead even when it gets halved are very impressive. They know what they're going for and what they're doing. They've got Watkins up top who is in the form of his life but also lots of player around him who are playing just as well.
"They do look like a very solid side and now they're two points off top - I didn't think I'd be saying that nine games in but in the same breath you see it. It feels like they're the real deal and they have the foundations in place to be really competitive going forward."
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
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