Aston Villa boss Unai Emery admits they're finding more teams playing defensively against them.

Villa had to work hard to find a way to win at FA Cup opponents Middlesbrough on the weekend.

Emery said: “It is our next step as a team. We are facing a lot of teams who play with a low block and are respecting us a lot.

“Saturday (at Middlesbrough) was similar to Burnley, Zrinjski and Legia Warsaw. We know it and we are trying to add in our practice and preparation things which can help us face it.

“It is not easy to beat teams defending like that, particularly when they do it very well.

“For me, tactically it is exciting to face a difficult challenge and it is the same for our players."

Emery added: “We are playing a lot of matches like this because teams in the Premier League, in Europe and the FA Cup are respecting us a lot.

“Our improvement means teams are facing us differently. We can improve by playing matches like this."