Paul Lambert managed to enjoy a winning return to Norwich city after his Aston Villa team managed a 1-0 victory over his former club.
This was especially sweet victory for Lambert, who said in the pre-match press conference that he had not forgotten the bitter rivalry with the Norwich board. Lambert was involved in a long legal battle with Norwich before managing to move to Aston Villa. He enjoyed a lot of success with the club, who he got promoted from the Championship and led them to a 12th place finish in the first season in the Premier league.
Libor Kozak's solitary goal in the 30th minute was enough to give Villa the three points, which cannot come at a crucial time for Lambert and his men. Villa came into the encounter on the back of three consecutive defeats, despite starting the season with a victory over Arsenal. After the 3-1 win over Arsenal, there was a lot of positive mood around the club. This was because Villa avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth last season. This season, they were expected to kick on, but it has not happened in the last three matches. This has been partly down to the tough fixture list that has been put on Villa.
"The last three times we've come down here we've won three times. It's a great record. On the counter-attack we know we're a threat and we could have been two up after a couple of minutes. The start we've had has been extremely tough. We've played three of the top sides and ran them all close, even beating one of them. The new lads will take time to settle but so far they've been excellent," said Lambert after the match, while also confirming that Benteke has suffered an injury.