Two goals in the closing stages from Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke – his first in our colours – opened our league account for the campaign having failed to net in our previous four matches. However, by that stage, the visitors had taken a 3-0 lead, Johan Manzambi scoring on the stroke of half-time before Nicolas Jackson and Emi Buendia extended their advantage after the break.
That came after a dominant first half from us in which we created numerous chances only to be denied by some fabulous goalkeeping from Zion Suzuki, who made a string of fine saves to frustrate us.
There were 11 minutes gone when the Japanese keeper made his first saves, a double stop from Savio. Sandro Tonali had raced clear down the left, pulled a ball back which was initially mis-controlled by Dominic Solanke but fell to Savio, whose first shot in front of goal was blocked by Suzuki and his second tipped over the bar by the Villa number one. Four minutes later, Villa’s first chance saw Manzambi cut inside and hit a low effort which was easy for Antonin Kinsky.
We were dealt a blow early on when Pedro Porro went down and had to be replaced by Archie Gray in the 19th minute and the 20-year-old had only been on the pitch for a minute when he was played in by Savio, only for his right-foot shot from a tight angle to flick off the heel of Suzuki for a corner. That set-piece was cleared away as far as Savio, who hit a crisp volley which was heading in until Suzuki dived across to push it away.
At the other end, Kinsky had to make a big save of his own on 27 minutes, keeping out Buendia’s 15-yard drive before Jackson dragged wide when in a good position on the edge of the box.
The chances kept coming, Tonali with a rasping shot from 25 yards which flicked off a defender for a corner as we continued to apply the pressure, only to fall behind four minutes into first-half stoppage time. There had just been a lengthy break after Micky van de Ven had taken a whack to the head and he was off the pitch when play resumed. Andy Robertson attempted to keep the ball in play right on the byline but gave possession to John McGinn, he picked out Boubacar Kamara and his low shot was turned home by Manzambi from close range.
The second half began with us on the front foot again, this time though Villa were content to sit back, soak up the pressure and try to hit us on the break which they almost did in the 53rd minute, Jackson played through but Kinsky was quickly off his line to prevent him from doubling the visitors’ lead.
We thought we’d scored on the hour mark when half-time substitute Mohammed Kudus bundled the ball over the line from close range, only for celebrations to be cut short when VAR confirmed Robertson was offside in the build-up. Our misery at that setback was compounded further when Villa added a second with 67 minutes on the clock. Suzuki’s long goal-kick wasn’t dealt with by our defenders, Manzambi touched the ball off to Jackson who beat van de Ven before hitting a low shot which Kinsky got a hand to but couldn’t prevent from creeping in.
We tried to respond quickly, Tonali curling just wide from 22 yards out but, while we had plenty of the ball in the final third, we couldn’t create any meaningful chances and instead, Villa added a third on 79 minutes, Buendia with a sumptuous finish into the top corner from 22 yards.
Our first Premier League goal of the season finally arrived four minutes from time after a one-two between Kudus and Omar Marmoush, the former cutting back from the byline for Gallagher to slide the ball into the far corner, just two minutes after the midfielder had come off the bench.
We continued to apply the pressure and had chances in stoppage time, James Maddison’s fierce free-kick down the left edge of the penalty area heading in until Suzuki pushed it away, with Kudus volleying the rebound way over. Van de Ven then headed inches wide from a Robertson cross. And with the virtually the last kick of the game, we added a second, van Hecke powerfully heading Robertson’s free-kick past Suzuki. In the end though, it was too little, too late.
Line-ups
Spurs (4-2-3-1): Kinsky, Pedro Porro (Gray 19), van de Ven (c), van Hecke, Robertson, Tonali (Gallagher 84), Bentancur (Bergvall 84), Savio, M Fernandes (Kudus 46), Marmoush, Solanke (Maddison 66). Substitutes (not used): Dubravka, Senesi, Tosin, Udogie.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Suzuki, Wan-Bissaka (Cash 46), Lindelof, Mings, Ruggeri, Kamara (Mbaye 84), Joao Gomes, McGinn (c) (Barkley 84), Buendia, Manzambi (Hemmings 72), Jackson (Abraham 88). Substitutes (not used): Wright, Harwood-Bellis, Garnacho, Bogarde.
Match data
Goals: Spurs – Gallagher 86, van Hecke 90+8; Villa – Manzambi 45+4, Jackson 67, Buendia 79.
Yellow cards: Spurs – van Hecke; Villa – Jackson, Cash.
Referee: Sam Barrott.
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Weather: Light rain, moderate breeze, 22 degrees.
Attendance: 60,920.