Aston Villa manager Remi Garde has told his players to follow the example of Leicester City in order to avoid relegation from the top flight.

The Midlands side have made their worst ever start to a Premier League season with a return of just eight points from their first 18 games, leaving them 32 points shy of the theoretical 40-point mark required to secure top-flight survival.

Last season, the Foxes looked all but certain to drop down to the Championship but then went on an incredible run of seven wins in their final nine games to ensure their safety. The good form has carried on into this season and they now sit two points clear at the top of the league.

According to the Birmingham Mail, Garde called his players to a meeting just before Christmas and told them to draw inspiration from their East Midlands rivals.

"It's quite private what I tell to the players but this is one of the points that I said to try and motivate the players," he told the newspaper. "They are full of confidence which is opposite to where they were a year ago.

"The question is how they have done that and why they have done that.

"I have to find the solution for my team to bounce back to better confidence and a better way of playing. I'm working on that with the players but I still believe we can do it."

Garde previously revealed that he is targeting 10 wins in the second half of the campaign.