Villa were no match for Arsenal, who awoke from their slumber at 2-0 down to pulverise their opponents into submission.
“It was a top-class performance from us in the first half, but maybe Arsenal scored too soon in the second half. It gave them a huge lift and we looked a bit leggy,” McLeish said. “It’s never over. I said that to the boys at half-time. You know there are 45 minutes to go.
“To be fair, the players went right to the end and we could have had an equaliser. It wasn’t to be and we have to learn from that. We have to learn that winning mentality. It was disappointing that we capitulated. It’s a missed opportunity.”
