Brad Guzan believes Aston Villa will not let themselves be bullied by struggling Stoke City in Saturday's crunch relegation battle.

The goalkeeper knows that some visiting teams to the Britannia Stadium have been intimidated by the team full of big players that Potters boss Tony Pulis has at his disposal.

But Guzan, Villa's in-form keeper, is not the slightest bit worried about his young side's ability to cope with the aerial bombardment and physical battles on Saturday.

Speaking to the Birmingham Mail, Guzan said: "There's a competitive spirit we have in the dressing room where we fight for each other and fight for the shirt," he said:

"Every game is physical, the more we can get into team's faces and make it difficult for them to play, the better it is for us.

"It's high tempo, high energy, we want to make it difficult for them. Stoke are a big team, we'll have to go there, be confident and make sure we win those battles.

"It's a man's game and you have to be a man about it, win balls in the air, whatever it may be.

"We have to be ready to compete, that's what the Premier League is all about. It won't be easy but we'll definitely be ready for it."

‪[cat_link cat="aston-villa" type="grid"]