Tottenham Hotspur took the tailwind from their League Cup triumph against Manchester City into the Premier League – and kept close to the top with a 4-1 win over Aston Villa. Despite a bitter high.
Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou enjoyed a confidence boost during the week thanks to the 2-1 win in the League Cup against champions ManCity. At Aston Villa, coach Unai Emery also relied on the remarkable streak of seven unbeaten Premier League games. However, this was to end on Sunday.
After that, however, it did not look like it in the first section. Because Villa resisted in an intense duel and sniffed at the lead after half an hour, but former Hamburg player Onana only headed the ball against the post (30).
Two minutes later, however, the Villans took advantage of their enormous strength in set-pieces: Rogers coolly converted a dangerous corner from Digne in the six-yard box (32’|0:1). For the disappointing Spurs, 0:1 meant a bitter record high. No other Premier League team has conceded the first goal in a home game more often in the calendar year 2024 – Tottenham now already twelve times.
New injury concerns
After a disappointing first half, Spurs came out of the dressing room with anger. And they converted this directly into an equalizer: captain Son was given too much space and time on the left for his cross, Johnson scored – because Solanke just missed (49′ ).
But Solanke was to play a major role against his Premier League favorite opponent. Within four minutes, the record transfer of the summer finally turned the tables: on a pass from Kulusevski, he elegantly lifted the ball over Villa keeper Martinez, before Richarlison served the ball on a silver platter to the English goal scorer shortly afterwards (75′, 79′).
It was only bitter for Postecoglou that Richarlison had injured himself during the build-up work – like center-back Romero before him. So the injury worries are growing. Former Wolfsburg player van de Ven had also recently checked into the hospital.
The result, however, provided some consolation for the growing personnel worries, with Maddison converting a free-kick directly in the ten-minute stoppage time (90.+6).
The Spurs want to follow up next Sunday (3 p.m.) when they play at home against Ipswich Town. Before that, however, they face Galatasaray Istanbul in the Europa League on Thursday (6:45 p.m.). Villa, for their part, have to go to Bruges on Wednesday (6:45 p.m.) in the Champions League, before a top game at Liverpool’s Anfield Road on Saturday (9 p.m.).
