Lambert believes keeping Stoke up would be his greatest escape

Paul Lambert claims saving Stoke from Premier League relegation would be his finest escape act as a manager.

The Scot faces a huge battle to prevent City’s 10-year stay in the top flight from ending, with the club still marooned in the bottom three.

Lambert has never suffered the drop before, guiding Norwich to safety in the 2011-12 season, while also managing to save Aston Villa twice in a turbulent period.

He was only in the relegation zone once at Villa, before being sacked days after a 2-0 defeat at Hull City in February 2015.

But this survival mission is his most difficult yet, after being parachuted into the job in mid-january. “I came here with only 15 games to go,” he said. “I’ve never seen a table like this, with so many teams still in trouble, and it could go to the final day.

“This would be a bigger achievement than keeping Villa up two seasons running. We’re at a stage where we need wins now – a million per cent – but I’d rather be going into games playing the way we are, knowing that we’ve got a chance.

“If I was sitting here thinking, ‘What are we going to do and how are we going to play?’, there would be a problem.

“The level of our performances has been good, even away from home, and if the players continue to have the same belief, we have a chance.”

Stoke’s season has recently suffered due to a number of incidents of indiscipline, with Saido Berahino, Jese Rodriguez, Ibrahim Afellay and Erik Pieters all falling foul of Lambert.

But the manager insists that experienced professionals such as Joe Allen – a target for West Ham, tonight’s opponents, in the last two transfer windows – can help guide Stoke to safety.

“The biggest compliment I can give Joe Allen is that he does it every week,” said Lambert. “He’s a manager’s dream because he never gives you an ounce of problem.”