Aston Villa defender Frederic Guilbert is confident they'll beat the drop this season.

Guilbert suffered relegation with French club Caen last season before he signed for Villa.

"It's true I cried. We had a chance to survive on the last day so it was heart-wrenching that I hadn't kept a club I loved in Ligue 1," admits the 25-year-old defender.

"The relegation fight is a little similar this season but I think we have a much tighter and mentally stronger squad to resist it happening again. I think we have all the weapons we need to stay in the Premier League."

He also told the Daily Mail: "Playing for Aston Villa is extraordinary with the stadium, the atmosphere and everything. It is special. Of course I had the sea in Caen and living in Birmingham, there is no sun! So from that side it's tricky.

"The English game is based a lot on the transition between defence and attack. And it is much faster and more intense than France. Maybe that style suits me a little more."