Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has hit out at claims that his side frequently resort to long-ball tactics.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Andre Villas-Boas made the accusations following his team's 4-0 win at Villa Park midweek, echoing remarks from Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho.

"I don't get that really. If you go and look at your stats at how many long balls Chelsea played against us, I'm pretty sure we weren't ahead of them. And Spurs," the Birmingham Mail quotes Lambert as saying.

"We don't have the players to play long balls. We might play a long pass. We don't just hit it up front and hope for the best. I think that's detrimental actually, to say things like that. I don't agree with that.

"Even if Christian Benteke plays we don't play long. You're not telling me we're a big side other than Christian or Nathan Baker? I don't think it's right to say that. We don't play that way at all. I think they're wrong in saying that."

Villa play host to Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend.