Aston Villa players were delighted with their narrow 1-0 win over UEFA Cup rivals Sparta Prague last night.

The victory maintained Villa's 100 per cent record in Group F and put them in a favourable position to qualify for the next stage, with a draw against MSK Zilina likely to be enough to see them through to the next round.

But the players have designs on bigger things than that.

Both Steve Sidwell and Brad Guzan were drafted into a side showing six changes, with the former's shot responsible for creating Villa's goal after hitting John Carew and diverting over the line.

Sidwell told five: "It's been a frustrating start for me personally so it was good to play.

"We've got a fantastic squad and the manager bought well. It (the UEFA Cup) is very important and we want to go all the way. We proved that tonight."

Guzan, getting a rare run-out in place of fellow summer recruit Brad Friedel, added: "We did a great job in terms of commitment and defending as a unit. Every opportunity you get you want to prove yourself to the coaching staff and everyone else.

"Obviously we want to go in (to the Zilina match) with the right mentality and get three points."