Aston Villa No2 John Terry insists their summer spending spree was needed after last season's Great Escape.

Villa spent a club-record £33m to sign Ollie Watkins from Brentford, and he scored in their 3-0 victory against Bristol City in the third round of the Carabao Cup. Another player who was on the scoresheet was debutant Bertrand Traore, following his £19m purchase from Lyon.

Traore's arrival follows Matty Cash's £16m move from Nottingham Forest, and Emiliano Martinez's £18m switch from Arsenal, taking Villa's spend in this window to £86m.

"After the way we stayed up last year it was important, and I think the manager recognised it over the summer as well," said Terry.

"With Johan (Lange, sporting director) coming in the building and Christian Purslow (chief executive) and the two owners doing some fantastic work early on we managed to get some really important players in the group.

"Already we've seen that, the immediate impact in the first couple of games. What it does in that group is that training goes to another level.

"Everyone is pushing each other. The right-backs are fighting for their spot, the left-backs are doing the same. Ollie's came in and set the standard. Keinan (Davis) looked superb at Bristol as well.

"All over the training ground the levels go up. You can only match those levels, if you don't hit them you fall behind. What we've seen so far is everyone's rising to that level and pushing each other."