Aston Villa strike partnership the best outside top six, insists Tim Sherwood

Tim Sherwood has sensationally declared that Aston Villa’s strike partnership is the best in the league outside of the top six.

Fifteen goal Villa are the lowest scorers in the Premier League this season, with Leicester above them scoring nine goals more.

Strikers Gabriel Agbonlahor and Christian Benteke have both scored four each this season but Sherwood insists the England international and Benteke will guide Villa to safety.

He said: "It's about this time when Gabby normally comes out and starts keeping this team in the league.

"I had a lot of chats with him, a lot of chats with Christian and every player. The strike partnership outside the top six, they've got to be the best two.

Sherwood believes Agbonlahor, Villa's record Premier League goalscorer with 70, can get back to his best under his new role.

"Absolutely," he said, when asked whether he identified Agbonlahor as key to Villa.

"Every game I've told him to play on the shoulder and look to get in behind, because once he gets in behind you he's very quick and hard to stop.

"He's had a lot of games now, a lot of experience, and I'm saying: 'Just go out there and play where you think you can hurt them, you take up positions'.

"It shouldn't be ignored and I think it was appreciated by the fans the other night, they were singing his name, you can't imagine how much players grow from that. I've managed one of the hottest strikers in English football at the moment, Harry Kane; he had to win over those Tottenham fans."