Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has insisted that every player needs to perform if the club are to improve in the Premier League this season.

Villa spent much of last season in the bottom six of the league table before the goals of Christian Benteke fired them to safety, but Lambert has praised the impact of several other members of his first-team squad.

The 44-year-old told the Birmingham Mail: "I knew people were going to look at Benteke. People had this mindset of Benteke, Benteke, Benteke every single time. But the other lads were growing into it.

"Christian wouldn't have been the same player if he wasn't getting service from Gabby Agbonlahor and Andi Weimann. They were exceptional as well. Ashley Westwood was stepping up to it, Matt Lowton was stepping up to it, Fabian Delph was stepping up to it.

"Everybody was starting to feed off each other. I don't think that you can turn around and look at it as just individuals. It's a team, we're a team and I need everybody to perform."

Villa begin their Premier League campaign with a trip to Arsenal on Saturday.