Stoke 2-1 Aston Villa: Paul Lambert says Villa didn't deserve to lose

Paul Lambert says Aston Villa "didn't deserve" their 2-1 defeat at Stoke City.

The Aston Villa boss reckons his team "always looked threatening" and believes they were unlucky to lose a "close" match following former Villa striker Peter Crouch's 70th-minute winner.

Villa's top scorer Christian Benteke missed the game with a knee injury, and Lambert says it is "unlikely" the Belgian will be fit in time for Villa's game with Crystal Palace on Boxing Day.