Stiliyan Petrov has urged Aston Villa to become more aggressive if they are to make the necessary improvements.

Villa drew 1-1 at home to Fulham in the Premiership last Saturday and tonight face a tricky League Cup third-round tie away to Leicester City.

Although Villa remain unbeaten this season, there is a feeling that the performances are not matching the results. Petrov, who was Martin O'Neill's first signing for Villa, agrees with that.

"We are still unbeaten but I think we need to get more aggressive and we need to get more points," he said. "We need to start winning the games, not just drawing them.

"I am pleased with my own performances but it is not about me or someone else. It is about how we perform as a team. We have had some great team performances and we take everything together and we know we still have to work hard to improve things."

The League Cup is Villa's first opportunity to qualify for Europe and, as such, they will take it more seriously than some Premiership clubs. Petrov won the equivalent competition with Celtic in Scotland but has learnt that sometimes the tougher matches are against teams from lower divisions.

"We know all these games are hard," he said. "We played Scunthorpe United in the previous round and we saw how hard it was for us, so we expect a hard game against Leicester City.

"It is important to go back and have a winning mentality again and win the game.

"We will definitely have the confidence to do it and I think everyone is looking forward to the match because, when you don't win, you want the next game to come around quickly."

More than 4,200 Villa supporters will be at the Walkers Stadium tonight and, as far as Juan Pablo Angel is concerned, that is a sign that Villa's optimism is spreading among the fans.

Angel, the Villa striker, has shown an improvement in form under Martin O'Neill, although, even under David O'Leary, he did well in the League Cup.

"I wouldn't under-estimate Leicester at all," Angel said. "It will be a very difficult game, especially with the manager going back there. There will be a big expectation again for us but we have to cope with it and we have to be at our best.

"We know how the Villa fans are when they travel away and it will be special to have them shouting for us. It is an extra pressure for us to do things right. They are a twelfth man."

For Gareth Barry, the Villa captain, the match tonight provides another opportunity to press his claims for a place in the England squad.

Despite a fine start to the season, Barry has been over-looked but Steve McClaren, the England head coach, has vowed to make changes and Barry's versatility could prove important when the squad to face Holland in a friendly next month is announced.

"A few people told me Steve McClaren was there [against Fulham]," Barry said. "I would have preferred not to have known. You think about it before the game but, during the game, it is out of your mind.

"I heard on Thursday that he might be coming. I had a few days to think about it but the more important thing was to try to get the result for the team and play well for it."