Martin O'Neill is honest enough to admit that he's getting a healthy portion of luck as he helps re-establish Aston Villa in English football's top ten.

But, after seeing his side earn their fifth fortuitous penalty in as many games - and their seventh spot kick of the season - the Villa manager is also realistic enough to know that what goes around comes around.

After watching home skip-per Gareth Barry benefit from a generous hand-ball decision to fire home the penalty that triggered yesterday's 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers, O'Neill said: "Sooner or later, the same will happen to us. It will come in a very important game and I will curse my luck."

The key incidents in the win over Rovers, which took Villa up to sixth in the Barclays Premiership, both centred on Stiliyan Petrov.

Having won the penalty which Barry converted six minutes before half time when his shot struck Rovers defender Andre Ooijer, it was Petrov's elbow that was then hit by a Morten Gamst Pedersen free kick late in a second moment of controversy that went unrewarded. The inconsistency shown by Yorkshire referee Howard Webb baffled both managers.

"Before I'd seen our penalty, people said it was soft," O'Neill said. "But then I finally got the Match of the Day people to show it to me; you can see the ball hit his outstretched arm and, as they say, I have seen them given.

"But, if that was the case, then they should have had one when the ball hit Stiliyan Petrov on the arm with about 20 minutes to go. If you give one, then you have to give the other."

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes was in full agreement, saying: "We had one the same when, from our free kick, it hits Petrov in the wall. There's movement towards the ball with his elbow, it strikes his elbow, but the ref doesn't give it. You'd have to ask him why he didn't."

If Villa, who scored only two out of five penalties awarded them last season, are receiving more than their fair share, yesterday's opponents are at the other end of the scale.

Hughes' team have conceded more than any other team in the Premiership and the Lancashire outfit's boss was fairly condemnatory of Mr Webb - and his linesman who gave the all-important penalty, Richard West, also from Yorkshire.

"We've conceded a number of penalties," said Hughes. "Some were right. The one today was incorrect.

"Up to then, we were comfortable, they've not caused many problems and we were just looking to get to half time at 0-0, then have a real go from there.

"To concede a penalty like that was a big decision. Refs need to get big decisions right and he didn't get that one right. I asked the assistant referee as I came off if he was sure if he'd got that decision right. I'm not quite sure how you'd describe his reaction. Maybe he was a little nonplussed that I'd questioned his decision but most people in the ground thought it was a harsh decision and the only person that didn't was the assistant."

On a more positive note, as far as Villa were concerned,

thanks to an encouraging debut from Blackburn Rovers old boy Chris Sutton, O'Neill has added to his options for Wednesday night's Carling Cup match at Chelsea.

Despite limping off just before the end with cramp, Sutton is expected to report for the meeting with another of his former clubs at Stamford Bridge.

Liam Ridgewell, who felt too weak to play after the flu, will want his shirt back from Martin Laursen.