Paul Lambert says Aston Villa will not be relegated

Paul Lambert says Aston Villa do not look like a bottom-three side despite slumping to 18th in the Premier League after a 2-1 home defeat by Liverpool.

Villa are level on 30 points with 17th-placed Wigan, but a place below them because of an inferior goal difference.

"We are playing well enough to win and I certainly have the belief that we will be fine," the Villa manager told BBC Sport.

"We had chances and we didn't look like a team down there at the bottom."

Villa played well in the first-half and went ahead 15 minutes before the break when Belgian striker Christian Benteke scored his 25th goal in 46 games for both club and country.

However, Liverpool bounced back in the second half thanks to Jordan Henderson's goal and a Steven Gerrard penalty.

"I thought we were excellent in the first-half and looked threatening every time we went forward," added Lambert, who took over from Alex McLeish last summer.

"Even in the second-half we kept going, but the way we conceded the equaliser was really poor from our point of view. We lost poor goals."

The Midlands club came into the match on the back of two league wins, but Sunday's loss was their 15th of the season - they lost a total of 14 in the previous campaign.

"Looking at results, we are four points from 11th," added the former Norwich boss.

"There will be so many twists and turns. The thing for myself is we are playing well. In spells we are playing really, really well.

"The confidence is a big part of the game of football, if you keep that it will certainly help.

"You look at today there was not too much in the game. There was not too much between the teams."