That was harsh 😭💔: John McGinn has given his honest verdict on Aston Villa’s 4-0 opening-day defeat against Brighton 🗣️ You won’t believe what he said.

Aston Villa captain John McGinn has admitted the side were simply not good enough after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat to Brighton on the opening day of the Premier League season.

Villa travelled into the fixture hoping to make a strong start, but their afternoon quickly turned into a nightmare as Brighton punished them with a ruthless attacking display.

Unai Emery’s side struggled to create any real momentum and were repeatedly exposed at the back, with Brighton taking full advantage of Villa’s defensive mistakes. The result leaves the club with plenty to reflect on after a disappointing start to the new campaign.

McGinn did not attempt to hide from Villa’s shortcomings when assessing the performance, particularly the goals his side conceded.

“The goals we conceded were poor”

The Scotland international’s assessment underlined the frustration inside the Villa camp, with the midfielder acknowledging that the team must improve significantly if they are to challenge for their targets this season.

Villa will now be expected to respond quickly and put the heavy defeat behind them. Emery and his coaching staff will have plenty of work to do on the training ground, particularly defensively.

For McGinn and his teammates, the priority is clear: learn from the mistakes, show a reaction and ensure this damaging result does not set the tone for the rest of their campaign.