PREMIER LEAGUE
SUNDAY 19TH OCTOBER, 2025
(2pm)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1(1) ASTON VILLA 2(1)
Spurs scorer:-
Bentancur, 5
Villa scorers:-
Rogers, 37
Buendia, 77
Attendance:- 61,291
Referee:- Simon Hooper
Assistants:- Adrian Holmes, Simon Long
Fourth official:- Anthony Taylor
VAR:- Paul Tierney
Assistant VAR:- Lee Betts
Teams:-
Spurs (4-2-3-1):- 1. Vicario; 23. Pedro Porro, 4. Danso, 37. Van de Ven (Capt.), 24. Spence (sub 22. Johnson, 86); 6. Palhinha, 30. Bentancur (sub 29. Sarr, 86); 20. Kudus , 7. Xavi Simons (sub 15. Bergvall, 79), 28. Odobert (sub 39. Kolo Muani, 79); 11. Tel (sub 9. Richarlison, 60)
Subs not used:- 31. Kinsky; 67. Byfield; 14. Gray
Booked:- Van de Ven (foul on Rogers), Danso (foul on Digne)
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1):- 23. Martinez; 2. Cash, 4. Konsa, 14. Pau Torres, 12. Digne (sub 22. Maatsen, 82); 24. Onana (sub 6. Barkley, 82); 29. Guessand (sub 10. Buendia, 61), 27. Rogers, 7. McGinn (Capt.); 17. Malen (sub 11. Watkins, 61)
Subs not used:- 40. Bizot; 3. Lindelof, 26. Bogarde; 9. Elliott, 19. Sancho
No bookings
Frank and Spurs setting new worrying trends
Before the international break, Spurs finally ended the depressing run of losing their games preceding such occasions when beating Leeds at Elland Road. Perhaps they are now starting a new run of defeats after the international break.
Maybe that Leeds result influenced Frank in his original team selection, as it featured just one change (Spence for Udogie). Sadly "Cuti" Romero was injured in the warm-up and had to be replaced by Kevin Danso. He did a pretty good job of covering, but his persistent long throw tactic became more and more wearing throughout the game. They brought no reward and the time taken in preparation (use of a towel in the pouring rain) led to Spurs wasting their own time.
Thomas Frank has now faced Unai Emery's Villa side six times (five of those were as Brentford coach) and failed to win. Villa have now won five of their last seven Premier League games against Spurs and nine of their last eleven games after the international break.
Perhaps the most worrying statistic for Spurs home fans is our home record in recent Premier League games. We won our first against Burnley this season, then lost at home to Bournemouth (a match also refereed by today's official Simon Hooper), before being thankful for Palhinha's late equaliser against Wolves.
Since beating Villa 4-1 here last November, Spurs have won just three of eighteen home league games since. No wonder Spurs were booed off the pitch. Our next visitors will be Chelsea in two weeks' time. We all know the difficulty of beating that opposition.
It had all started so well today. After the pre-match ritual of "Can't Smile" and the trumpet-led "Oh when the Spurs," centre-forward Matthys Tel won a corner through high pressing and determination. Following that corner, Kudus crossed deep from the left, Palhinha headed the ball back into the middle from beyond the far post, and Bentancur finished off with a powerful right-footed strike that was deflected past Martinez.
Thereafter, there was little goalmouth action of note. Spurs were being marked tightly in the middle. Kudus excited with his runs, but was more often than not double marked, as Digne struggled on his own. Spurs favoured attacking down the flanks and Odobert got one or two decent crosses into the middle.
Villa seemed to have more control on the ball, and too often too much space. Their equaliser came out of the blue, but Spurs had been threatened more often than they worried Martinez.
Spurs desperately miss their creative players. Xavi did not see enough of the ball. We missed Bergvall, whose flowing running play can be so influential. When he did get on in, late in the second half, it came after about ten minutes of hesitation and late briefing on the touchline. Football is too technical sometimes. I remember when Harry Redknapp told Pavlyuchenko to "...run about a bit!"
It looked as if Kudus had given us an early 2-0 lead after he challenged and won the ball before beating Martinez, but he had been flagged offside.
Inevitably, Matty Cash was booed with every touch and jeered when anything went wrong for him.
Odobert tried to reach a curving cross by Pedro Porro, but the ball went out of play for a goal kick. Spence won a corner in a battle with Digne, but Martinez claimed Kudus's ball with ease.
Micky van de Ven was shown one of two yellow cards for his foul on England international Morgan Rogers. Danso showed he has the pace and defensive ability of his partner at the back when Villa broke out. Odobert received a good ball from Pedro Porro, but his cross/shot was not held by Martinez but cleared with Tel threatening. Vicario parried a Villa cross in similar fashion and Spurs cleared.
However, Spurs conceded an equaliser when Guessand passed inside from the right. Xavi was on Rogers, but after getting a rebound the Villa player beat Vicario with a dipping shot from 25 yards. Spurs had been trying to play out, and I feel perhaps Vicario had been expecting Spurs to clear, and perhaps lost concentration.
My neighbour in the stadium suggested that there had been widespread newspaper publicity suggesting that Spurs would be looking for a new keeper in January. I see a lot of newspaper reports plus other sources and have heard nothing of the sort.
The closest we came to scoring before the break was after a free kick on the right and a ball to Odobert, who crossed into the area where Van de Ven headed over.
Spurs kicked off the second half, playing towards the south wall. Danso made a great tackle on Digne in the box and Digne went down screaming, receiving lengthy treatment before moaning when the referee insisted he went off behind the goal-line and was made to walk all the way around the pitch. He was able to run back his position.
Pedro Porro threaded a good ball inside Digne for Kudus to race forward and cross, after which Palhinha's shot from the edge of the box was tipped wide by Martinez. After a short corner and a cross, Bentancur's downward header was saved, but ultimately Spurs were flagged offside.
Donyell Malen, who scored both Villa's goals in their win over Burnley two weeks ago, hit the side netting with a left footed shot after taking McGinn's pass. Palhinha hit a poor shot wide after taking a pass from Xavi. Spurs had been threatening a little but lacked the end product. Richarlison replaced Tel but fared no better.
Danso was shown the only other yellow card of the day after a foul on Digne. Spurs fell behind to another sucker punch goal, which was only Villa's second shot on target. Villa had had a corner on the right, taken by Digne who was still on that side when the ball came back to him in too much space. He passed inside to substitute Buendia, who hit a low shot through the area beating Vicario to his right. Buendia - once of Norwich - missed the entire 23/24 season with an ACL injury and has scored in three of his last four games.
Pedro Porro threaded a good ball down the right channel for Bergvall, who got to the bye-line before crossing. This led to excitement in the box, but Bergvall had been offside.
There were seven minutes of added time. Spurs' best chances came after another good ball by Pedro Porro and a cross by Kudus. Palhinha fed Kolo Muani, but he missed his kick. Another chance fell to another substitute Johnson after Kudus crossed again, but Brennan's shot was high and wide.
This game had been the "hors d'oeuvre" to Liverpool's home game against Manchester United. Nobody expected a United win and Liverpool have now lost four consecutive games for the first time in eleven years and are only one point ahead of us. What is depressing is that the team from the other end of Seven Sisters Road are three points clear at the top.
Next up for Spurs is a midweek Champions League trip to Monaco.
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