The opening day of the English Premier League season was perfect for Aston Villa. A stunning win over Arsenal and the promise of a much better season ahead loomed large.
However, three more games down the line and Aston Villa find themselves with the same number of points that they did after the first day of the Premier League season.
Three losses in a row - even if the performances might have been decent - does not bode too well when you are looking to kick on this season and possible finish in the top ten.
Come Saturday, Villa travel to face Norwich City, who themselves made a few waves in the summer transfer window and have struggled to quite stamp heir authority in the first four games.
Villa faced Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool in their first three matches, but it is the most recent loss to Newcastle that will be jarring for the players.
"It was out of character," Lambert, who will face his former team, said of the Newcastle performance. "It was one of the first times I have felt really disappointed after a game. We never got going except for a flurry in the second half.
"You always get annoyed when you get beaten and you're disappointed to lose. You've got to give Newcastle credit, they played well and on the day we probably didn't deserve to win the game.
"But sometimes you hold your hand up and say 'we've been beaten' and then go on to the next one. That's what we have done this week. The lads have been training well. We will go again on Saturday.
"I'm certainly not going to let one performance get me down. The lads will come back strong. They have only played four games! No-one was saying all this after the first three games. They were on the top of their game.
"The lads can have an off-day, they are human. Sometimes they won't perform. Over the four games, they have been excellent for us. There's no need for me to sit and be worried over that.
"My confidence in these lads has never wavered. Never. After those first three games, to let one disappointing performance get us down would be wrong. I'm always encouraged by the lads. If they can keep doing what they were doing in the first three games then we'll be a threat.
"I definitely don't come in on Monday and let the place be all doom and gloom. You can't work like that. You've got to get them back up and get them going again. It's only one game and you have to bounce back as quick as you can.
"We don't dwell too much on it when we win, we certainly don't dwell on it if we lose."
Norwich have picked up one point more than Villa this season and currently find themselves 15th on four points. The last match would have been one that Chris Hughton will want to forget after Tottenham thoroughly outclassed them at White Hart Lane.
However, as Norwich showed plenty of times last season, at home they are quite a formidable unit and the comforts of playing at the Hawthorns will work in their favour come kickoff.
Team News: Libor Kozak could be in line to make his full debut and could line up with Christian Benteke up front, while Jores Okore is a long-term casualty after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.
Norwich manager Chris Hughton has no new injury concerns with only long-term absentee Elliott Bennett unavailable.
Where to watch
The match is scheduled for kickoff at 5.15 p.m. (IST) with it set to be telecast on ESPN. You can also watch the game online with the official link HERE.
Expected lineups: Norwich: Ruddy; Whittaker, Turner Bassong, Garrido; Redmond, Snodgrass, Johnson, Fer; Elmander, Wolfswinkel.
Aston Villa: Guzan; Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Luna; El Ahmady, Westwood, Delph; Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor.
Prediction: 1-1
