BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today called on Matt Jansen to deliver the goals to guarantee Rovers' Premiership survival ahead of tonight's crucial clash with Aston Villa at Ewood.

Jansen has been in sensational form over the last 10 days, scoring in both the Worthington Cup triumph over Spurs in Cardiff and Saturday's bruising derby draw with Bolton at the Reebok.

And, with new strike-partner Andy Cole now facing up to a three game ban, taking in the games against Leeds, Newcastle and Leicester, in the wake of his sending off against Wanderers, even more emphasis will be placed on the 24-year-old's goalscoring prowess over the next few weeks.

But Souness believes his rejuvenated frontman is more than equipped to shoulder the burden for goals -- starting tonight against an in-form Villa side who have lost just once in their last nine league games.

"For whatever reason, Matt has been outstanding for us in our last two games," said Souness.

"Whether that's because Yordi's turned up and he's now breathing down his neck or maybe it's because he's eating different food, I don't know.

"But I think it's always very healthy to have competition for places and, if that's making Matt play as he has done in the last two games, then that's great news for us."

Reduced to 10-men following Cole's dismissal and trailing to a Rod Wallace strike on the stroke of half-time, the situation looked bleak for Rovers at the Reebok.

But Souness gambled by throwing on Yordi as an extra strike-partner for Jansen at half-time.

And the move paid off as Rovers' current leading scorer responded with a sumptuous equaliser which could yet prove priceless come judgement day on May 11.

"Matt's performance on Saturday was as good as I've seen from him," enthused Souness.

"Generally speaking, he's quite difficult to link up with and most strikers who have played with him would probably say that.

"But for the large part on Saturday he was on his own and that maybe suited him somewhat.

"Even when Yordi came on in the second half, though, he continued to play very well.

"So we just want more of the same from him between now and the end of the season.

"He looks like getting goals for us now, whereas he went through a period before the Worthington Cup final where he wasn't getting shots in.

"He wasn't making chances for himself but he's certainly done that over the last two games and long may that continue."

Meanwhile, Villa have problems of their own up front ahead of their trip to Ewood.

New boss Graham Taylor -- who celebrated his first win since replacing John Gregory at the weekend -- is desperately trying to hold on to leading scorer Juan Pablo Angel.

And that has overshadowed their preparations in the build-up to tonight's contest.

Angel -- who grabbed his 15th goal of the season in Saturday's 2-1 win over West Ham -- has grown increasingly unsettled at Villa Park over the last six months.

And reports, triggered by comments made at a shareholders meeting last week, even claimed Taylor was paving the way for Angel's exit this summer.

But the Villa boss insists he is trying to do everything in his power to keep his mercurial Colombian star -- who impressed when Villa beat Rovers 2-0 earlier in the season.

"We desperately want him to stay," said Taylor. "But I've inherited this situation involving Juan Pablo and his wife -- we're not just talking about the player here, we're talking about the player and his wife.

"She was desperately ill and was fortunate to be alive.

"A high percentage of people that have those problems die. So it was a traumatic time for Juan Pablo.

"I think that's bitten deep into both of them, in as much as Paula his wife feels that this is an unlucky place to live.

"So I really am coming from behind dealing with the family. I'm not just dealing with the player."