West Ham United captain Declan Rice says they need to raise their standards - and fast.

Three straight defeats see them bottom of the Premier League table as they head to Denmark for the second leg of their Europa Conference League play-off with Viborg FF on Thursday (6pm).

And Rice, who is suspended after missing last week's 3-1 win at London Stadium, knows they need to improve as they also visit Aston Villa on Sunday (2pm).

“I was up in the stand on Thursday night watching the game against Viborg, and the game looks totally different when you’re sitting there compared to when you’re on the pitch," he told whufc.com.

"The second you have to make a decision, knowing the next pass and how quick everything moves, on the field it’s really tough, but we’re a good team and we just need to get our confidence back, be free-flowing, create chances and get the fans on their feet. We’ve got the players to do that, it’s down to us to do it.

"Of course, but Villa in the next [Premier League] game is tough, then it’s Spurs and Chelsea. We don’t want to be down in the bottom half of the table for the season, so we need to raise our standards, we need to be better. We need to win the game next week, it’s a simple as that.

"We need to go out there, give everything, leave nothing on the pitch and walk away with three points."

The Hammers were left empty-handed again after a 2-0 home defeat against Brighton at the weekend, when Alexis Mac Allister netted a first-half penalty and Leandro Trossard struck midway through the second half.

And Rice says they need to stick together to arrest their slide, adding: "I’m annoyed and disappointed because this is not the level we have set over the last two years.

"We know as a group of players if you lose the first three games you’re constantly chasing, and we don’t want to do that.

"As a group of lads, last year and the year before we were so good because we were honest, we stayed together, we worked our socks off on the pitch and gave everything.

"I think from the start in these first three games we’re feeling a little bit sorry for ourselves. There’s no easy game in the Premier League so unless you start to work and get three points on the board you’ll be chasing."