Aston Villa boss Remi Garde admitted defeat to Stoke was difficult to take as they edged ever closer to relegation from the Premier League.Villas survival mission looks ever more impossible as they remain seven points adrift of the pack after a Marko Arnautovic double helped City to a 2-1 victory at the Britannia Stadium.Their 17th league defeat in 27 matches this season was a familiar tale, with defensive deficiencies and attacking ineptitude paving the way for the loss Although Garde felt his side recovered from their 6-0 thrashing against Liverpool in their previous match, he admitted their soft centre eventually cost them.It was a very difficult defeat [to take], the Frenchman told Sky Sports.I think we played quite well in the first half, we defended well and created chances, but we know that it is difficult for us to create chances at the moment. A Villa supporter holds a banner protesting against owner Randy Lerner We started slowly in the first 15 minutes of the second half and conceded the penalty and then the second one was a strange goal [which] for me is the fragility of the team.The travelling Villa supporters vented their anger at the clubs owner by chanting Randy Lerner out, but Garde insists it did not distract his players.Not at all a distraction for me, he said. I was concentrating on the game and I think the players [were] doing the same. Leandro Bacuna says a sloppy start to the second half was costly This is not part of our job to comment on the situation. My job is to concentrate on the job. I try to keep this team as high as I can with the tools that I have got and Im only focused on that. Im not here to comment on any other things.Weve improved our team spirit on what we have done, or not done, in this game.We were at the same level we were at before the Liverpool game, but then we were without our attacking forward, so didnt create enough.Also See:Stoke 2-1 Aston VillaAs it happenedGarde questions squads commitmentVilla fixturesBrett Favre Womens Jersey . With his new coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during an official match for the first time, Djokovic appeared tentative early against the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to keep the ball in play. Adrian Peterson Womens Jersey . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. http://www.thevikingsshoponline.com/Youth-garrett-bradbury-vikings-jersey/ . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. Randy Moss Youth Jersey . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. Everton manager Roberto Martinez says that keeping Baines at the club is a "massive boost and exciting for the future" because he brings "maturity and football knowledge in a very specialized position on the pitch" and an "infectious and positive influence to the rest of the squad. Cris Carter Youth Jersey .ca! Kerry, Two nights after the Scott-Eriksson incident in Buffalo, the Bruins returned home to play San Jose. In that game, Zdeno Chara put a check on Tommy Wingels that clearly targeted his head.Nico Rosberg heads into the season-deciding Abu Dhabi GP holding a 12-point lead over Lewis Hamilton in the battle for the 2016 F1 world title.Its been a season of twists, turns and even collisions for the Mercedes team-mates and its made for a thrilling title race. Here, we chart how the Drivers Championship has unfolded so far in 2016 with one round to go. Australian GP A slow getaway from Lewis Hamilton saw the pole-sitter drop as low as seventh in Melbourne, while it looked like Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari were in control after storming to the front off the line. However, a red flag following Fernando Alonsos heavy crash scuppered the Scuderias strategy and both Mercedes drivers capitalised, with Nico Rosberg eventually finishing eight seconds ahead of his team-mate. Sky Sports Black Friday sale Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price! Nico absolutely drove brilliantly - but he absolutely got the luck as well, noted Sky F1s Ted Kravitz. Drivers Championship standings Position Driver Team Points 1 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 25 2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 18 Bahrain GPAnother pole for Hamilton, but another poor start saw him make contact with Valtteri Bottas at Turn One. The world champion dropped as low as ninth before fighting his way back to third in a damaged W07 behind Kimi Raikkonen, while Rosberg was rarely troubled on his way to his fifth victory in a row - a streak stretching back to the 2015 season.Nico Rosberg is faster, better, and has greater self-belief than back then [when Hamilton overturned a points deficit in 2014], said Martin Brundle. In my view Rosberg has a real chance to win this championship, although Lewis still has the edge on speed. Drivers Championship standings Position Driver Team Points 1 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 50 2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 33 Chinese GPRosberg left the drama and chaos behind him in Shanghai to extend his winning run and open up a commanding lead in the title race. Hamilton started at the back of the grid due to power unit problems in qualifying and and suffered front-wing damage at the first corner, wher Vettel and Raikkonen also made contact. The Brit eventually finished seventh with Rosberg winning ahead of Vettel and Daniil Kvyat by over 30 seconds. Drivers Championship standings Position Driver Team Points 1 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 75 2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 39 Russian GPAnother power unit failure for Hamilton saw him qualify in 10th, allowing Rosberg to take another pole position. And once again, the leader avoided yet more first-lap carnage - this time involving Kvyat and Vettel - to dominate the race from start to finish. A seventh win in a row put Rosberg level with Michael Schumacher and Alberto Ascaris legendary streaks - and in complete control of the championship - though Hamilton was able to limit the damage by finishing second.