Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has already consigned his side's Premier League 6-1 hammering of Sunderland to the past as he focusses on overcoming his former club at Carrow Road this weekend.

Villa have taken 17 points from their last 11 games to leave them 16th in the table on 37 points – one less than the Canaries. Lambert, though, has put the morale-boosting win to the back of his mind.

'You let it go as soon as it's finished,' he said. 'I don't dwell on it, it's gone. We've got another three games to go and we'll go and try to win the next one. The lads have hit really, really top form over the last few months and that's the pleasing thing, they've grown with it.

'The crowd on Monday were electric and I think the team and the crowd are really bonding – and that can be a fantastic thing at a football club.

'The way the night transpired, with the crowd and the atmosphere, was fantastic. But it's important to move on. We're playing really well at the moment but the minute anyone thinks we've done it, we'll try and avoid that.'

Midlands rivals West Brom can help Villa by beating Wigan this weekend but Lambert would rather focus on his own job.

'If you start to look for others to do you a favour, then you're clutching at things,' he said. 'The big thing for me is every time we've been asked to get a result against teams in and around us, we've come up with the goods. There's not much in it in the bottom half.

'We've just got to look after our own game and try and win as many games as we can, and our form is very very good. There's still loads to do. We've got to let that game go. The most important thing was to win that game.'

Villa now look in a healthy position to beat the drop but Lambert is wary of getting too carried away.

'It's never over until it's over,' he said. 'But we've given ourselves a chance.'

Several of Lambert's more obscure summer signings have flourished this season despite the team's relegation concerns. Right-back Matthew Lowton, recruited from League One side Sheffield United, is one such player. The 23-year-old has even been tipped as a future England international in some quarters and Lambert believes he has the potential to reach that level.

'It's entirely in his own hands,' he said. 'His performances have been consistently high. He was outstanding against Sunderland and he was man of the match by a mile.

'It's up to him how far he'll go. If you don't give them an opportunity, how do you know how good they are? We believe the lads can do it and they are performing, that's for sure.'