Remi Garde: The festive period will define season
Villa boss Remi Garde conceded his side's next three games are likely to define their season after his former club Arsenal condemned them to their 15th consecutive Premier League match without victory.
The rock-bottom Villans are eight points adrift of safety – and still six from just climbing one place – having accumulated a mere six points from their opening 16 games of the season.
And with matches to come against relegation rivals Newcastle, Norwich and Sunderland over Christmas, Garde knows his side must start picking up victories, and quickly.
"Probably, we will have to win if we want to be safe," said Garde, who recalled Jack Grealish to the squad after dropping him for two games for partying after a 4-0 defeat to Everton last month.
"We can still be safe but we are coming into a period where we have to win.
"I see this situation as more of an opportunity than a problem, but we have to be ready.
"I still believe we are capable of winning the next game.
"I enjoy working in this league. We are struggling, I still haven't won a game and I'm very frustrated but I know in football you can change things with work."
An early penalty decision against right-back Alan Hutton – which referee Kevin Friend deliberated over for several seconds before finally pointing to the spot – set Villa on their way to a club-record 15th consecutive league match without victory.
And their misery was compounded by a typical Arsenal counter-attacking goal, which was finished off by man-of-the-match Aaron Ramsey after Joleon Lescott found himself three-on-one with the Gunners' attack.
