Unai Emery smiled for possibly the only time all night when he was asked at the start of the news conference to sum up why his team had lost: "We can be here for two days explaining it. In one minute is difficult.

AS Monaco edged out Aston Villa 1-0 at home in the Champions League on Tuesday, thanks to an early goal from Wilfried Singo, to secure the Ligue 1 side their first win of the year.

Aston Villa 's Champions League qualification fate will go down to the final league phase match after they lost 1-0 at Monaco. Unai Emery's side could have put one foot in the last 16 had they emerged from the Principality with victory, but they succumbed to Wilfried Singo's early goal and were unable to find a way back.