A devastating 5-0 defeat to reigning champions Zenit St. Petersburg is a serious warning for Spartak, the Moscow side's ex-Valencia coach Unai Emery said Saturday.
Zenit hammered in five goals as they demolished 10-man Spartak Moscow in a top-of-the-table Russian Premier League clash to go clear at the top Saturday.
Russia midfielder Roman Shirokov scored twice, while Spartak saw their ex-Celtic winger Aiden McGeady sent off for a vicious tackle.
"Since the very beginning they were better than us, we were being pressed while attacking and lost the ball a lot," Emery wrote on his official website.
"We were outplayed in every position and only after their first goal we tried to play our game, but that wasn't enough."
"We have done badly today and that serves as a wake-up call."
Spartak had penalty on the hour after Zenit defender Tomas Hubocan put in a late tackle on Spartak striker Emmanuel Emenike.
However, ex-Everton midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov saw his shot saved in spectacular one-handed style by Vyacheslav Malafeev.
"It is certain that had we scored a penalty, we would return to the game, but we were unlucky," Emery wrote.
It was the Emery's first competitive defeat as Spartak coach after three wins in his first three league matches.
Spartak's next Premier league game is at home against Rubin Kazan next Saturday.
Emery, 40, left Valencia at the end of last season after two years and was announced as Valery Karpin's successor as Spartak coach immediately after the end of the last season, signing a two-year contract in May.
