Aston Villa manager Unai Emery admitted that his side are "frustrated" but have their eyes on the bigger picture following a 4-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Despite starting the match brightly, the visitors surrendered a one-goal lead after the break as Ange Postecoglou's Spurs ran rampant, capping off an excellent week that also saw them defeat Manchester City.
The defeat marks Villa's third consecutive match without a win, following a drawn result against Bournemouth last weekend and an exit from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Crystal Palace. According to DAZN, Emery acknowledged his side's difficulty in handling Spurs' response in the second half, but he remained focused on the long-term goals for the season.
"We [have] won two times here [before]," he told Sky Sports. "We knew how to win here, but they are a good team. They scored so quick in the second half. When you are losing, you have to try and get one step forward to try and change the result. But we know how difficult it is against Tottenham."
Emery continued, "4-1 is a tough result. We are disappointed, frustrated but we are accepting it. We know our way. [We have] 38 matches, [and] the league is very tight."
Aston Villa are competing in the UEFA Champions League for the first time this season and currently sit top of their revised group stage table, thanks to victories over Young Boys, Bayern Munich, and Bologna. They will return to continental action on Wednesday, travelling to Belgium to face Pro League champions Club Brugge in their fourth fixture of the group stage.