Villarreal coach Unai Emery insists they didn't deserve their 2-1 defeat to Athletic Bilbao.

Emery was left disappointed after the loss to Athletic Club.

He later said: “I feel it was an even game, with both teams trying to impose their style. They pressed us well positionally, but we found spaces on the counter. Their first goal was a blow emotionally, but we reacted. It played out similarly in the second half. The first penalty sets you back emotionally, but the second gives you hope. In the end, the game ended falling in their favour.

“I liked my team. We demand a lot from ourselves, and there are still things to improve on. We need to continue working hard and learning things based on experiences. We were very disciplined tactically, and there were moments where we had the game where we wanted it, but they made us run a lot. Athletic are very good at what they do. The penalty could be a penalty because he steps on him, but it's innocuous.

“We need to react. We set up for each match looking for the points, getting players ready and giving minutes to those who are playing less. We need to look at certain things about how we play and how we're performing. We've had two defeats in a row, although we did have a very important win in the Champions League between them."