Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has stated his belief that his players can recover from two straight defeats when they play Stoke City on Saturday.

The Villans are currently 11th in the Premier League, but Lambert wants his side to return to the form that saw them beat Southampton away from home before their recent two defeats.

"We have had two performances, against Fulham and Manchester United, where we weren't good enough and that is the bottom line," Sky Sports News quotes Lambert as saying. "But against Southampton, I thought we were excellent considering the way they have been going.

"The start we have made to the season has been pretty okay. You can't let two games be a real bugbear. You have to let them go, and we'll go up to Stoke and try to win. The good thing about the group is that while they can feel down after games, you get them back at the training ground and you can get them up again.

"You are hoping the fans look at it as you do yourself - you have to let games go, whether you win, lose or draw. You can't dwell on them."

Villa's opponents Stoke are just a point behind them in the table.