John McGinn admitted Aston Villaâs 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur was a huge relief as Unai Emeryâs side finally secured their first Premier League win of the campaign.
Villa raced into a commanding position through Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emi BuendĂa before Spurs threatened a late comeback, but the visitors held on for all three points in north London.
âItâs a reliefâ but we âdeserved our winâ, McGinn said after the final whistle.
The Villa captain was also asked about the teamâs organisation following a summer of major changes to Emeryâs squad.
âIt’s more off the pitch meetings and a lot of deliberate movements,â said the midfielder.
âTo be honest, it was really frustrating in the first half because, normally, we’re a lot more organised than what we were â throw-ins, set-pieces, we were a little bit ragged.â
McGinn revealed Emery had carefully prepared the team to exploit Tottenhamâs weaknesses, with Jacksonâs goal coming from a move they had worked on in training.

âBut he’s been great, heâs been really calm.
âHe’s just determined to get us back to where we were with a new group of players.â
Manzambi and Jackson both scored their first league goals for Villa, while McGinn stressed the importance of senior players helping the newcomers understand the clubâs demands.
âSo that’s where myself, Tyrone, Cashy, Emi, we become important because this is our way. This is how we compete with the big boys.â
âAnd the new guys are buying into it.â