Tyrone Mings made no excuses for a disappointing performance and result against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Tyrone Mings made no excuses for a disappointing performance and result against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Aston Villa were far from their best on home soil, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

Tyrone Mings admitted the team failed to meet the lofty standards they have established this season, though he stressed the importance of keeping perspective, with Villa still well placed in the Premier League table with just three matches remaining.

“I was really disappointed with the first half,” Mings said. “Collectively, when you play for this football club, the bare minimum is energy, passion, fight and desire—and from players one to 11, I don’t think we showed that before the break.

I was frustrated by that. We pushed harder in the second half, but they were well organised, tough to break down and difficult to play against. In the end, I think we deserved to lose.”

He continued: “It’s easy to point fingers and look for excuses, but I’m not making any for that first-half display.

A few words were exchanged because it fell short of the standards we demand, but the manager was keen to remind us that we’re still in a fantastic position. Getting here has taken a huge effort.

We’ve got a massive game on Thursday, and we’ll pick apart what went wrong today to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

It was frustrating for the fans—they turn up expecting to see a high-energy performance from a Villa side. Even with a few changes, you’d expect us to be fresh and really take the game to them. It was a disappointing result and a let-down for the supporters.”

Villa now turn their attention swiftly to Thursday night’s crucial fixture, returning to Villa Park for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

Mings is under no illusions about the significance of the occasion and is relishing the chance to achieve something memorable.

“Thursday is enormous—it has felt that way for a long time,” he said. “It’s a massive opportunity for this club in a competition we’ve felt strong in all along.

We’re up against tough opponents, but at this stage of the season, every game is hard. We’re a confident group, and we must stay that way.

We have to remember the things that got us here and the footballing fundamentals that give you a platform to win matches. Ultimately, that’s what we’ll take away from today.”