Albion's goal is to take net big step in attack

Albion have turned four goals in six games into one of the best runs in their history.

Just imagine what might happen if or when they start hitting the net on a more regular basis.

The Seagulls are undefeated in six games as they start thinking about the home clash with Crystal Palace.

Just one goal has been conceded in that time. And only two in the last seven-and-a-half games.

Six games unbeaten in the top flight is a best for the club since 1981.

They have kept three successive clean sheets at home.

This latest shut out was never put under threat.

Joel Veltman was a big reason for that as he took care of Jack Grealish.

So are we closing in on a complete performance from Albion?

If so, the timing would be perfect with their old rivals on the horizon.

We know football does not always work quite like that.

Playing well in previous matches is no guarantee you will do so again when Seagulls meet Eagles.

But it feels like the right steps are being taken, building blocks are being put in place.

If only they could score more goals.

This time they were a persistent threat. That is a plus.

But they were left with just a point thanks largely to some good saves from Emiliano Martinez.

Yes, good saves. Really good saves.

How often do we see the ball kept out and utter those words, “Good save”, knowing that, had the effort gone in, we’d be asking questions of the same keeper we were praising?

Not on this occasion.

Some of these were proper stretching, flying saves from efforts directed – or deflected - well wide of him.

Like Dan Burn’s header guided just inside the post in the first half.

Or the shot from Veltman which took a nick off Matt Targett en route.

Or the late close range effort from sub Danny Welbeck which, admittedly, the striker might feel he should have buried.

General perception is that a 0-0 is a bad game. A 2-2 is a good game. A 3-3 is a classic.

Goals change games. They also improve them, chop the 90-minute piece up into shorter chapters for the observer.

The bit when it was 0-0, the bit when it was 1-0, the bit when it was 1-1.

Here, it just stayed 0-0 with the home team doing all the pushing so we had the same narrative throughout the 90 minutes.

But, from an Albion viewpoint, it was still enjoyable to watch given the football being played. It was a decent 0-0.

Yes, it was rather frustrating too.

Potter said: “I thought as a team we restricted them to very few chances, very few shots.

“It’s not easy to do that against Aston Villa.

“They have a lot of really good attacking players and have scored a lot of goals.

“Credit to the players for that.

“I thought we attacked with good discipline.

“When we turned the ball over we could win it back quickly or get back into our structure well. I’m really happy with that.

“Obviously I’m disappointed we could not get the goal.”

There is a theory Veltman’s arrival went under the radar when Albion picked him up for £900,000 after a lengthy pursuit.

Nationally, that might have been the case.

It wasn’t in the Netherlands, where he was expected to join a higher-profile club than Albion.

And not here, either. Albion’s work received plenty of credit locally at the time and there was enthusiasm for his arrival soon after Adam Lallana joined from Liverpool on a free.

ALBION FACE SELECTION DECISION FOR PALACE GAME

POTTER: WE'LL BE READY FOR PALACE

WITH VIDEO: RYAN SAYS HE HAS MADE MASSIVE STEP UP

Here, on an evening with the first-choice wing-backs and Adam Webster all missing, he shone brightest in an all-round defensive display. And that was not all.

He forced two saves from Martinez and provided the cross of the match from which the late-arriving Alexis Mac Allister should have headed in rather than over.

Mac Allister was later too high with a free-kick and had a low, deflected drive saved by the keeper’s legs.

Potter said of Veltman: “I thought he played really well.

“Defended really well, attacked really well.

“I thought we he was helped by the team performance.

“I don’t think it’s one person who can stop someone like Jack and the other players Aston Villa have got.

“I thought it was a really strong team performance in terms of how we defended and how we attacked.

“Our challenge is to maintain that level of performance until the end of the season.”

That is exactly right. Starting next Monday.

Albion: Sanchez; White, Dunk, Burn; Veltman, Gross, Bissouma, Alzate (Lallana 62); Mac Allister, Trossard; Maupay (Welbeck 80). Subs not used: Walton, Karbownik, Connolly, Moder, Tau, Propper, Zeqiri.

Yellow card: Alzate, Trossard.

Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash (Elmohamady 61), Konsa, Mings, Targett; Douglas Luiz, McGinn; Traore (Trezeguet 66), Barkley (Sanson 76), Grealish; Watkins. Subs not used: Heaton, Nakamba, El Ghazi, Engels, Davis, Ramsey.

Yellow card: Grealish, Douglas Luiz, Sanson.

Referee: Darren England (South Yorkshire).