Steven Gerrard explains the one thing Aston Villa have worked on ahead of Brighton

Steven Gerrard believes Aston Villa aren't too far away from kick-starting some much-needed form off the back of just one win in their last eight matches.

The 41-year-old has told his players to target a top-10 finish, a feat Villa haven't been able to achieve since 2011 under the late Gerard Houllier and his assistant and current No.2 Gary McAllister.

"Our form has dropped," Gerrard said. "We admit that. We take that on the chin, of course we do, but this wasn't a job that would be sorted in 12, 13 or 14 games. We knew we needed a certain amount of windows. We knew we needed time to implement an identity.

"Yes, we had a positive start but, even when we were winning games, we knew there was still a gap where we needed to get to. That doesn't change.

"Even if we go and win three on the spin, we know this is a long-term thing we need to improve and where we want to take the team to.

"Look, a good, strong win against Brighton changes the mood and the noise that's outside. We're aware it's one win in seven in the Premier League. That doesn't lie but, if we win, it moves us towards the middle of the table.

"This team hasn't finished 10th in many years and that's still possible here so, for me, it's about remaining positive.

"I've got a lot of trust in my players and we have identified areas where we need to improve and improve fast. That's what we've been working on."

When asked what's been missing of late, Gerrard pointed to the intricacies in the attacking third with Villa scoreless in well over 220 minutes of football.

"We've lacked that last pass, that killer touch and that clinicalness around the goal and the area," Gerrard added. "Hopefully, we can adjust these things in the next game and the coming games