Dunn and dusted - fit-again Rover is back to his best

In terms of the spectacular, Dunn was overshadowed by Ashley Young's sumptuous strike. But his contribution was crucial to Mark Hughes' team as, along with starlet David Bentley, he provided sufficient support for lone striker Roque Santa Cruz.

Scroll down to read more

It was Dunn's powerful run past Curtis Davies — and his ability to hold off the defender — that allowed the Paraguayan to claim his 15th goal of an impressive debut season.

The Lancashire lad was laid up for two months after surgery to cure a hamstring problem that robbed him of at least two years. And it was heartening to see one of the game's genuinely affable characters fit and playing once more, although Villa fans may not share those sentiments.

He had an unusual take on the source of his problems, too.

"When I came back to Blackburn I needed to be playing 30 games a season,' he said. "I think I might be there now, with the European games and cup games early on.

"They thought it was a bit of a gamble — as did Bolton who also wanted to sign me — but I think I can say it's been a success now because I can't remember the last time I played 30 games. I don't think I did at Birmingham.

"I'm fit and I'm sure that I was affected driving up the M6 a couple of times a week. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case because I'm not doing a great deal differently to what I was before.

"Maybe I've grown up a little bit. I've got a lovely girlfriend now and I see my daughter a lot more and everything is good off the field. I'm sure that helps as well.

"Sometimes I feel — not that I let Birmingham down — that I kind of owe them. I was getting a bit of stick from the Villa fans. Obviously, as an ex-Blues player, it's good to do something in front of that end."

Blackburn manager Hughes bought into the theory that happiness away from the game is reflected by performance on it. But he paid tribute to the midfielder's determination to continue his career.

He said: "After games David's still sore, he has ice packs all over his body. He's determined to get his career back on track and he's going the right way about it.

"I thought he was excellent along with David Bentley in the middle of the park. Obviously, they're attack-minded players but they had a defensive job and I thought they stuck at it.

"On occasions when he's a bit sore after games he'll miss training sessions, but on the whole he needs to train during the week. I think in the past he's been struggling with injuries and he hasn't done himself any favours by putting his hand up for selection at the weekend after not training during the week.

"We try not to allow that to happen — we try to get him out on the training field because that gives the base level of fitness that enables him to get through games.

"It was a frustrating at Birmingham where he was never able to show his qualities. He's starting to do that for us now."

It sums up Gareth Barry's recent career that he decided to play with a badly bruised back that manager Martin O'Neill claimed would have floored 'lesser men', particularly when Fabio Capello was in attendance.

Barry was clearly not his normal self, but Young's sublime free-kick and Scott Carson's penalty save from Matt Derbyshire will not have gone unnoticed by the Italian.

Villa's skipper said: "The lads had an idea that Cappello was coming. There will be a lot of players who will be hopeful but fingers crossed until then.

2Saving that penalty will only boost Scott's confidence and it won't harm his England chances."