Full Steven Gerrard Interview As "Aggressive" Villa Boss Rows With Des Kelly After Loss To Arsenal

Des Kelly is BT Sport's regular post-match interviewer. But Saturday's Steven Gerrard interview got uncomfortable for Kelly after Arsenal beat Aston Villa 1-0.

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard clashed with BT Sport reporter Des Kelly in a post-match interview after his side lost 1-0 to Arsenal on Saturday.

Villa were deservedly beaten by the Gunners, who did not face a single shot on target until the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time.

Kelly mentioned that statistic during an uncomfortable interview, before Gerrard twice sarcastically thanked him.

Gerrard also criticized his interviewer by telling him: "I actually thought your questions would be a little bit more better."

At one point during the exchange, Kelly jokingly suggested that Villa might have fared better if they had been as "aggressive" on the pitch as Gerrard was in the interview.

In response, Gerrard said he was "emotional", rather than aggressive.

The interview was transcribed by Sky Sports and went as follows...

"I thought certain individuals lacked belief."

"I'm emotional in interviews, I care, I don't like getting beat."

Steven Gerrard gives and honest assessment of Villa's struggles against Arsenal, and clears the air with @TheDesKelly... pic.twitter.com/E1mzOFpHND

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Steven Gerrard Interview With Des Kelly

Des Kelly: "Can you pick through the pieces of that? It has been a tough afternoon for Villa today…"

Steven Gerrard: "I thought it was a tough first half because we allowed it to be tough. I thought we were indecisive in a lot of the things we tried to do, I thought our performance lacked belief and it wasn't really until half-time that we showed that we could improve and be much better in the game.

"But at that point you are obviously 1-0 down, you're chasing it, you've obviously got to take a few gambles and a few risks that normally you didn't want to do in the original game plan. But we were much better second half, first half we deserved to be behind. I thought we were second best."

Des Kelly: "They pinned you back for long periods. Were you giving them too much respect, perhaps?"

Steven Gerrard: "Yes, I think individually and collectively we maybe done that. We wanted to be organised, we wanted them to have the ball in certain areas - i.e. with the centre-backs and going outside of our shape - but we set up today to be aggressive and in that shape I thought we didn't.

"I thought we lacked a little belief in what we were doing and I thought certain individuals lacked a bit of belief. It's difficult to execute a game plan, what you want and how you want it to look, if not everyone believes in it. Second half I thought we believed in it a lot more, OK we went back to front a little bit quicker, we wanted to test the centre-backs and make it a little bit more about their defense second half.

"But I think across the board we had more belief, we were less indecisive and off the back of that we created three or four interesting moments in the game. But overall, we certainly have no complaints in terms of the scoreline."

Des Kelly: "I don't think you got a shot on target until right at the death, there."

Steven Gerrard: "Yeah, that is exactly how I described the game to you, though, is it not? Not good enough first half and then improved second half. We pushed at the end, got some good crosses in, created some more interesting moments, and I thought the performance was a lot more positive second half.

"But well done for spotting that."

Des Kelly (laughing): "Since April you've made a lot of progress, but you've lost to Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal - so there is still that gap that you have to close…"

Steven Gerrard: "Well done, Des, for recognizing that. If you asked me that question, I would say the league does not lie and I'd say that Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Man United, West Ham, Wolves, at the moment, are ahead of us for a reason and there's a gap and that is what we are striving to do. But if we want to take one of them places, we've got to be positive, got to believe in it, can't be indecisive, and we've got to go and grab it off them, we've got to believe what we're doing, to keep learning and get support from up above and grab it.

"I do like the way you work those things out pretty quick."

Des Kelly (laughing): "I think you're aggressive in the interview, and you should tell your players to do the same thing."

Steven Gerrard: "I'll tell you what I am in the interview, I am emotional, I care, I don't like getting beat and I actually thought your questions would be a little bit more better, in all honesty. No disrespect, Des, I am not making it personal. But you've just said to me there's a gap to Manchester United and City, blah blah blah and we know that. And you also said we had one shot on target towards the end of the game, that's how I described the game as well."

Des Kelly: "Well, we both agree."

Steven Gerrard: "Cheers Des. All the best, fella."

The interview ended with a handshake, plus a smile and a wink from Gerrard.

Steven Gerrard (right) looks dejected after his Aston Villa side lost 1-0 to Arsenal :: IMAGO/Nick Potts

Villa's loss to Arsenal was their second straight defeat, coming six days after they were beaten 2-1 at West Ham United.

Gerrard has now been in charge for 19 matches. Villa have won eight of them, drawing two and losing nine.