Paul Lambert insists his Norwich side have the 'bottle' to mix it with Premier League big shots Manchester City.

The Canaries have shown little sign of any inferiority complex against the top flight's aristocrats this season. City went the way of every other side in the league, bar Sunderland, on their December league visit to the Etihad, but Lambert is adamant Roberto Mancini's men will know they have been in a game at Carrow Road.

'I'm not going to bottle myself and worry about who we are up against. We'll always give it a go. I don't intend standing off them,' said Lambert. 'If you let them play then they will dictate the game because they are that good, but I trust my team to perform. The result will be in the lap of the gods.

'My players don't have any trepidation about playing them whatsoever. They are a right top side vying for the league. We will have to play every bit as well as we did on Monday to have a chance because the players they have got are top class, world class.

'You look at Manchester City's frontline and it is frightening. But our lads will be ready for it. Our confidence is high, the fans will come and be vibrant after what happened at Tottenham and I have great belief in my own team.'

Lambert opted to rest midfield trio Wes Hoolahan, David Fox and Andrew Surman for the White Hart Lane success after they had impressed last time out at home against Everton.

'I never really view it as dropping. I left out Fox and Surman and Wes, who were terrific against Everton, but I felt the turnaround was that sharp that I thought we needed to change it a little bit,' he said. 'We played Jonny (Howson) and Jonno (Bradley Johnson) and I thought the two of them were brilliant. Jonno came in and I thought he was playing like he was at the beginning of the season and I think Howson has been great since he came, but really the whole team was exceptional.'

Lambert believes stunning Tottenham 2-1 on Easter Monday showed everyone outside Norfolk just what his men are capable of against the big boys.

'It wasn't just beating a top-four side, but going away from home and doing it the way we did, which was incredible. It was the way we played,' he said. 'We didn't hang on or anything like that. We played a fantastic side, but to beat them like that was superb.

'I'm pretty sure that will give the lads even more confidence, but the thing is you have to sustain it. You just don't want it to be one game. You want to sustain that level and keep striving to go even higher.

'Was I surprised? I don't think surprise is the right word. The lads have been brilliant. There have been some times when I have been disappointed, but they have given me everything this season.

'I thought we were excellent against a really top Everton side and then against Spurs I thought that was terrific. I don't just want then to rest on their laurels and this game (against Manchester City) is a massive one. The lads will be vibrant at the minute.'

Norwich's impressive Easter displays were not without numerous contentious incidents involving the match officials. Lambert acknowledged that sense of injustice around the camp today, but the Scot declined to add his informed opinion to the fresh debate swirling over declining standards.

'There were a lot of strange decisions and we had a couple ourselves. It is a really difficult job being an official because the game is so quick,' he said. 'You have to get the big calls right and if you get it wrong then the scrutiny comes down heavily on you. I just know from our point of view there were two major calls that might have cost us, but they didn't.

'If it affects me, then I'll say something, which is why we had two stone cold penalties that everybody in the stadium at Tottenham could see. That is the only game I can comment on. I don't want to spend half-an-hour talking about referees.'