Steve Bruce has confessed that Aston Villa only have themselves to blame for failing to pick up at least a point against Newcastle United following another mediocre display.

The Villans should have taken the lead through Birkir Bjarnason in a largely promising first-half performance, only to squander their big chance and eventually gift their opponents a 2-0 victory at St James' Park.

Bruce has now seen his side lose five games on the bounce - their worst run in the second tier of English football since 1937 - and the 56-year-old is aware that improvements are needed at both ends of the field if their fortunes are to change.

"We were better but unfortunately what we've just witnessed there is us," the Birmingham Mail quotes him as saying. "We've done OK but given a poor goal away.

"They are two horrible goals to lose a game up here, that's our Achilles heel at the moment. We've created three or four chances and we couldn't take one."

Villa remain 17th in the Championship table ahead of the visit of Midlands rivals Derby County on Saturday afternoon.