Aston Villa supporters in the brewing capital of the world were raising a glass last night to John Carew as the striker, fined for breaking a curfew while visiting a Birmingham nightspot on the eve of the Uefa Cup victory over Ajax a fortnight ago, claimed the goal that all but booked his team a place in the last 32.

Carew inadvertently deflected in a strike from Steve Sidwell midway through the first half, but Villa were also indebted to a fine performance from Brad Guzan, the United States goalkeeper, who came in with Brad Friedel rested, as they withstood a second-half onslaught from Slavia Prague. Six points out of six, though, suggests that Villa should proceed to the knockout stages.

“He’s a great goalkeeper in the making,” Martin O’Neill, the Villa manager, said of Guzan, whom he signed in the summer from Chivas USA, the Major League Soccer club.

“I was delighted when we finally got the work permit for Brad and I think he’s following in a long line of top-class American goalkeepers. He was brilliant tonight, but I never had any doubt about him.

“John wouldn’t have known a lot about his goal, but it wouldn’t be the first he has scored without knowing it. I’ll leave the players to sort it out whose goal it is.

“I believe seven points will get us through. I thought it was a great game of football tonight and I thought we had a really excellent first half, when we could have scored more goals.”

Villa’s sound start to the season has left several of their squad players champing at the bit for more action and Sidwell, who has been restricted by knee and calf injuries since joining from Chelsea for £5 million in the close season, made the most of his opportunity as he came in as one of six changes after Monday’s weary-looking 2-0 defeat away to Newcastle United in the Barclays Premier League.

Playing a one-two with Ashley Young on the left corner of the penalty area, Sidwell’s drive was possibly going wide until it went in off the thigh of Carew to give Villa the advantage. Left out in the opening group F game a fortnight ago, when he attempted to accelerate his convalescence from illness by going out on the town the night before the game, this was Carew’s seventh goal of the season.

Young almost celebrated the lucrative new contract that he signed this week when he swerved a free kick against the far post two minutes later, then the winger, played in by a perceptive through-pass from Nicky Shorey, pulled the ball back into Carew’s path. But Vaniak saved well.

In front of an excitable capacity 20,322 crowd, Slavia pressed after the break. As the fog descended and the Villa defence became discombobulated, the home crowd — their best flag of the night was the simple but accurate “fans of alcohol” — were intoxicated by their best spell of the game.

Jaroslav Cerny sent a delicious pass in for Tomas Necid, who slotted the ball past Guzan, but only after the leading goalscorer in the Czech league had been adjudged offside. Then Guzan made a fine save as Cerny burst clear into the area before Necid, who joins CSKA Moscow in January, headed just past the post.

It was a tough spell for Villa to survive, but, having come through their first eight European games this season unbeaten, they have a resilience to go with their goal threat. It is a combination that could yet them take a long way in this competition.

Slavia Prague (4-1-3-1-1): M Vaniak — M Krajcik, M Suchy, E Brabec, D Hubacek (sub: Z Senkerik, 66min) — M Tavares — L Volesak (sub: T Belaid, 46), M Jarolim, J Cerny — V Smicer (sub: D Svento 41) — T Necid. Substitutes not used: J Divis, M Latka, P Janda, G Toleski.

Aston Villa (4-4-2): B Guzan — C Cuéllar, C Davies, Z Knight, N Shorey — C Gardner, M Salifou, S Sidwell, A Young — G Agbonlahor (sub: G Barry, 89), J Carew (sub: N Delfouneso, 90). Substitutes not used: B Friedel, L Young, M Laursen, W Routledge, N Reo-Coker. Booked: Gardner, Sidwell, Guzan.

Referee: C Kapitanis (Cyprus).