Paul Lambert insists his Aston Villa players are not scared of a relegation dogfight as they prepare to host Manchester City tonight.
Villa have won just one of their last 10 Premier League games and slipped into the bottom three after last weekend’s 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.
“I’ve not sensed they are scared at all,” said Lambert. “They’ve got to embrace the challenge.”
Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez both struck twice as City thumped Villa 5-0 in November but Lambert believes his side are not lacking confidence.
“The thing we’ll see is the players are up for it, that is for sure,” said Lambert. “I don’t see them being frightened.”
Lambert has 11 games left to get Villa out of trouble and his side will be buoyed by defeats for Reading and Wigan at the weekend.
“The club have been in and around it [the bottom three] for three years,” he said. “It’s nothing new but you have to look forward and think you will get out of it.
“You have to believe this is going to be a brand new dawn. It has to be, otherwise there’s no point being here. You have to change it.
“You have to stay in the League, to keep believing what you are doing is right, keep focusing your beliefs and never deviate from that.”
