Paul Lambert: My Villa side never gave up
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert reckons his players ran themselves into the ground before going down at home to Manchester City.
Yaya Toure sent a message to his critics as he and Sergio Aguero struck late on, to ensure the Premier League champions went home with three points.
A quiet game for Toure was lit up, as he broke the hosts' spirited resistance with a superb long-range strike eight minutes from time at Villa Park.
Aguero, who had earlier hit the post, ended any notions of a Villa fightback with an equally classy finish after 88 minutes.
Lambert said: "I thought it was a big effort from us, we defended strongly but they have quality all over the pitch and we were dead all over the pitch by the end.
"We were in that game for 82 minutes. We have played the top four in the league last season already, but we have come through it without any of them having beaten us badly."
