Spurs second-half display sinks Villa
Tottenham Hotspur 4 - 1 Aston Villa
Dominic Solanke bagged a brace as Tottenham staged a comeback to beat Aston Villa in the Premier League.
The £65m summer signing doubled his season’s league goal tally with two goals in just four minutes of the second half, lifting Ange Postecoglou's side up to seventh in the table.
Solanke gave Spurs the lead with a clever finish, lifting the ball over the onrushing Emiliano Martinez from a pinpoint pass by Dejan Kulusevski. Minutes later, Richarlison found Solanke in the box, who calmly slotted it home to put Villa's late resurgence beyond reach.
A closer look at what happened at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Villa had initially taken the lead 32 minutes in, as Morgan Rogers capitalised on Spurs' inability to clear Lucas Digne’s in-swinging corner, netting from their first shot on target.
Aston Villa, who had been denied an opener just two minutes prior when Amadou Onana’s header struck the post, were well-organised in the first half, successfully soaking up Spurs’ pressure.
However, Villa's hard work was unravelled shortly after the break, when Brennan Johnson met Son Heung-min’s superb cross from the left, energising the crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and setting the stage for yet another comeback.
James Maddison, coming on as a substitute, added a fourth goal with a brilliant free-kick deep into stoppage time, echoing Spurs' previous 4-1 comeback win against West Ham in their last home game.
This win narrowed Tottenham's gap to the top four following last week’s defeat to Crystal Palace. Fourth-placed Arsenal are now just two points ahead, while Villa missed their chance to climb to third.
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Spurs are still searching for consistency as they strive to return to the Champions League after last season's fifth-place finish, having managed back-to-back league wins only once in their first ten games this season.
Though they haven’t matched their blistering start under Postecoglou from last year, where they led the table in November 2023, they continue to show impressive resilience under the Australian manager.
Following their disappointing loss at Palace, Spurs bounced back midweek by defeating Manchester City to reach the EFL Cup quarter-finals, keeping their hopes alive for their first silverware since 2008. Here, they conceded the opening goal for the 12th time in their last 14 home league matches in 2024.
By the final whistle, they had equalled the Premier League record for home wins after conceding first in a single calendar year, with this comeback marking the eighth occasion.
Villa’s opener came somewhat against the flow of play and exploited a recurring vulnerability in the Spurs defence. A combined effort by Pedro Porro and Rodrigo Bentancur deflected Digne’s set-piece towards Guglielmo Vicario, who could only parry it into Rogers’ path.
Spurs breathed a sigh of relief as Ollie Watkins, kept quiet for much of the first half, missed the chance to double Villa's lead when he dragged his shot wide just before the interval.
The equaliser shortly after the break ignited Spurs, who returned with a newfound drive and effectively kept Villa from registering a shot on target.
Son and Solanke shine
Captain Son Heung-min, making a comeback from a two-game injury layoff, played a crucial role in Johnson’s leveller. He looked visibly surprised to be subbed off shortly afterwards, though this allowed Solanke to step into the spotlight. The 27-year-old’s composed finishing, especially his first goal, showcased his quality, and Postecoglou will be hoping his marquee signing can sustain this form to help Spurs find their rhythm.
Things are now also looking more positive for Dominic Solanke. After 473 minutes without a goal, a barren run dating back to the end of September, he only needed four minutes to turn one into two.
A rare bad day at the office for Aston Villa
Unai's reaction to today's defeat 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/4OEQcbDMon
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 3, 2024
The match saw Villa's unbeaten run come to an end. Despite a poor second-half display, they will still be positive as they go into an important few weeks. Their thoughts will already be turning to their upcoming Champions League game.
