Premier League

TOTTENHAM 1 (Lo Celso 22)
ASTON VILLA 2 (Torres 45+7, Watkins 61)

A THIRD straight defeat and Manchester City away next – Ange Postecoglou’s blistering start to life at Tottenham has been thoroughly dampened down by a series of unfortunate events.

Against Chelsea a fortnight ago it was injuries and red cards.

Versus Wolves a week later, a pair of last-gasp lapses.

Today (Sunday), it was a combination of bad luck, poor finishing, and another personnel-disrupting injury to a side already stitched together. That, and playing against a good Aston Villa team who showed why they are now above Spurs in the Premier League table.

Giovani Lo Celso, making his first start for Postecoglou, put the home side a goal up 22 minutes in with a tremendous volley. Replies from Pau Torres at the end of the first-half and then a winner from Ollie Watkins on the hour-mark handed Postecoglou his first home defeat as a manager since 2020.

The Tottenham boss did not need to look far for excuses, nor put on a brave face. His team were patched up and they responded to their task magnificently, despite the loss.

“We had four full-backs and four wingers [starting the match],” said Postecoglou. “I thought the lads handled that against a very good and settled Villa side.

“Some of our football was the best we have played all year. We have to take the pain of defeat but in terms of progress we have to take today as another step on the road.”

Such was the threadbare nature of the Spurs squad, with 11 injured or suspended out of 25, that two goalkeepers made the bench alongside youth players Alfie Dorrington and Jamie Donley.

With Ben Davies and Emerson Royal in the centre at the back, Spurs were vulnerable in the air. “We were so dominant and it was disappointing to concede from a set-piece,” added Postecoglou. “We had four full-backs [across the back four] and just did not have the height.”

But, as Postecoglou noted, once Tottenham shook off a post-whistle torpor, they played some scintillating stuff.

The all-action Destiny Udogie scooped over with Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez floundering. Then Dejan Kulusevski diddled his way into the box and struck the post with a brilliant effort, with Martinez having to save from Heung-Min Son’s follow up.

Spurs were at their Ange-ball best and a gorgeous finish from Lo Celso opened the scoring. A corner was cleared as far as the midfielder, who unleashed a thunderbolt that deflected past Martinez.

Moments after the stunning opener, Watkins thought he had equalised when another lifted cross beat the makeshift centre-backs, but the Villa striker was judged offside.

It started to go wrong for Spurs on the half-hour mark when Rodrigo Bentancur was forced off injured following a challenge from Villa full-back Matty Cash. It changed the dynamic of the game.

Villa had looked dangerous from set-pieces, and equalised deep into stoppage time at the end of the first half when Torres got in ahead of Davies and placed his header home.

In the second half Spurs again pushed in a bid to retake the lead. A Lo Celso drive was pushed away by his compatriot in the Villa goal, while Son slotted home from all of a yard, but the linesman had been quick to raise his flag.

Villa got their noses in front after an hour. Watkins showed his rising star credentials and why he is considered England squad material with a composed one-two and guided finish from the edge of the box.

Tottenham looked drained, the high-energy press creating plenty of chances but costing much in effort. Their energy levels dropped, and Villa controlled things to earn a 2-1 victory that saw them jump into the top-four.

Postecoglou has now watched his side lose three on the spin, with Manchester City up next. Under the circumstances, there’s no disgrace and the fans recognise this is another step on a journey.

But Spurs could do with some cheering up as the festive fixtures roll up. Postecoglou told fans that despite the scoreline, they could take heart.
He added: “I am disappointed for the fans and for our players. They did a fantastic job, the football was mind blowing.

“On another day its a game you’d think you win conformably. I am not happy with the defeat but as a manager you are looking for belief and tactical belief in who you want to be – and I saw that loads today.

“Some of our football was outstanding, and some of the goals we could have scored would have been showreels of how we want to pay our football.”

Tottenham: Vicario, Porro, Royal, Davies, Udogie, Bentancur (Hojbjerg, 32), Lo Celso (Veliz, 86), Kulusevski, Johnson, Gil (Skipp, 71), Son
Substitutes not used: Forster, Austin, Dier, Donley, Dorrington

Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash (Bailey, HT), Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne, Kamara, Luiz, McGinn (Ramsey, 90+2), Diaby (Tielemans HT), Watkins (Duran, 90+2)
Substitutes not used: Olsen, Moreno, Lenglet, Dendoncker, Iroegbunam