Matt Lowton says Aston Villa kids proved they're Premier League class after victory at Stoke City.

Lowton's 30-yard screamer against Stoke on Saturday showed how far Paul Lambert's side - average age 23 - had come and after three wins in four games, the full-back reckons confidence could not be higher.

"We passed a big test there," he said of the 3-1 win at the Britannia.

"We have taken a lot of criticism over the course of the season in terms of defending set pieces and things like that.

"The best team at that is Stoke, with their physicality and the way they put throw-ins and corners into the box, but I thought we were fantastic the way we dealt with it."