Aston Villa's Gerard Houllier was left to think about why his team conceded a second goal to Tottenham in the 2-1 loss on Sunday.
Villa were still in the contest after the hour-mark when Spurs were a goal up but a man down after Jermain Defoe was sent off but Rafael van der Vaart grabbed his second with just over 20 minutes remaining on the clock.
Houllier was disappointed his players let the visiting club in with a second goal when the game still up for grabs.
"The first goal affected our morale and when they went down to 10 men we knew they would rely on the break," he said.
"The second half was better, there was a reaction, but we should not have conceded a second goal, which was vital."
The loss saw Villa remain in 15th place on the table ahead of Tuesday's trip to Manchester City.
