'Harsh' - Steven Gerrard delivers brutally honest Aston Villa verdict after Tottenham thrashing

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has said the 4-0 result against Tottenham was "harsh" on his team.

Goals from Son Heung-min (3) and Dejan Kulusevski saw the visitors come away from Villa Park with all three points on Saturday evening. Gerrard has accepted responsibility for the result, though admitted he was "really happy and proud" heading into the half-time break.

While Villa did play well in the first half, it was a collapse in the second 45 that brought about the final result. Gerrard was honest in his assessment of the game when he spoke to BBC Match of the Day afterwards.

"It's tough. The scoreline is harsh on us, but it's the reality and we have to accept that. I have to accept it - I'm responsible. The story of the game certainly wasn't a 4-0 game," he said.

"It's the first time in football I've gone off at half-time 1-0 down and been really happy and proud, we were magnificent, we didn't take our chances but at half-time I said if we can continue this I have no doubt we get back into the game. The second half it flipped, Spurs' quality players made it about our backline and they punished us really heavily.

"Analysing the first goal, a long straight ball we could've defended that better, they got a bit of luck but they're ruthless in front of goal. To be 1-0 down at half-time was against the run of play, we were outstanding and the chances we've created against a top side is enough to win two or three games.

"We asked them to maintain that at half-time and we tried, we talk about defending the area around 18-yard box and Spurs punished us heavily in that area.

"We've got time - I don't know if that's a good thing, you want the next game quickly after a defeat like that which stings but I've got to pick the