Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has insisted that his team will try to beat Manchester City when they travel to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.
A win for City would put Manuel Pellegrini's side on the brink of a second Premier League title in three years following Liverpool's dramatic 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace on Monday.
Despite admitting that the hosts are likely to dominate the match, Lambert does not want his players to lie down against the title challengers.
"We're not going there just to make up the numbers, we're going there to try to win," the Scot is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News.
"You have to run a lot and run without the ball. We're going to have to work really hard without the ball but you also know you've got to try to win the game and that's what we're going to try and do."
Villa secured their top-flight survival last weekend thanks to a 3-1 win at home to Hull City.
Jack Prescott
