O’Neill not optimistic about record start
Martin O'Neill has played down Aston Villa's hopes of becoming record-breakers ahead of tomorrow's Premiership match with Fulham.
Villa are the only remaining unbeaten side in the top flight after Everton's defeat against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium last weekend.
They have not tasted defeat in eight games and are only four short of the club's best start ever to a campaign, which came in 1998-99 under John Gregory.
However, O'Neill is mindful of the fact Villa face difficult trips to Liverpool and Everton in addition to home meetings with Chris Coleman's side and Blackburn in the next month.
O'Neill said: "I think it will be pretty difficult myself to beat the record because we have some hefty fixtures coming up.
"We start with Fulham, then go to Liverpool and there will be more testing games after that. I think we will be hard pressed to emulate that record of a few years back."
"I'm genuinely pleased to be the only unbeaten team in the Premiership still. How long that will last, I don't know. But I wouldn't be shouting fantastic odds about beating the record."
