No goals at Craven Cottage, but it was certainly a lively encounter in West London.
Both Martin Jol and Alex McLeish were in charge of their first games at their new clubs and both will be satisfied to get off the mark with a point in a game that neither side really deserved to win on the balance of play.
Damien Duff and Bobby Zamora both went close on occasions for the hosts, while Emile Heskey and Stilian Petrov wasted good chances for the visitors.
Shay Given showed why Alex McLeish was so keen to bring him to Villa Park with excellent saves from Zamora early in the second half to complement his brilliant stop from Johnson towards the end of the first half.
Schwarzer was equally accomplished at the other end and two fine stops from Emile Heskey, who looked a handful on his return to the Villa line-up, ensured that it remained goalless
The game ebbed and flowed with neither side getting themselves across the finishing line; however both managers would have been satisfied with the result.
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