Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson admits they couldn't live with Aston Villa's counter-attacking football for Saturday's 3-0 defeat.
Hodgson expressed his admiration for Villa's game play on the day.
“We all know in the Premier League how important the first goal is," he said in his post-match press conference. “If you can get it, it can give you a considerable edge. Recently we've been conceding early goals."
Wilfried Zaha went close after 30 seconds before Villa took the lead moments later.
“We almost had a goal ourselves in the first couple of minutes. We had an excellent chance and Wilf [Zaha] was unlucky not to score, so it was almost the other way around.
“But when they score their goal after five minutes we know it's going to be harder. That's what the first goal is so important in Premier League matches, because it does give the opportunity for the opposition to sit back and defend well and enjoy the counter-attack, and a team like Aston Villa has very good attacking players."
