Aston Villa fought back to take the points with a 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
We made the perfect start when Rodrigo Bentancur fired us ahead just five minutes in and we looked good in the early stages. However, the visitors worked their way back into the game, levelling it up through Morgan Rogers before half-time and then snatching their fifth consecutive victory with an excellent winner from Emiliano Buendia in the 77th minute. They were Villa’s only two shots on target in the game.
Our best chances in the second half came from long throws and crosses into the box, but we couldn’t make any of them count and Emi Martinez was rarely troubled as we slipped to a second league defeat of the campaign, both on home soil.
Back in action following the international break, we were dealt a blow just before kick-off when captain Cristian Romero was replaced in the initial starting line-up by Kevin Danso but we seemed to shrug off the setback quickly, opening the scoring early on. Villa initially cleared a corner but we recycled it quickly, Djed Spence knocking it wide left to Mohammed Kudus, his deep cross was headed back into the danger zone by Joao Palhinha and Bentancur was on hand to slam home from eight yards out, the ball flying in off Amadou Onana.
The visitors replied with a low Matty Cash drive from 20 yards out that bounced a couple of yards wide and there was a good tempo to the game with both sides moving the ball around well in the north London drizzle. We were frequently getting into promising positions but lacking a final pass to carve out the chance, while we went close in the 28th minute as Pedro Porro hit a big switch of play from right to left out to Wilson Odobert, who cut inside and hit a curling shot which Martinez spilled but was up quickly to gather the loose ball.
We were preventing Villa from really getting into any rhythm, thanks in part to some fine interception and tackles from Palhinha and Bentancur, only to concede an equaliser with 37 minutes gone. It looked like Xavi Simons had stopped Rogers but the ball landed back with the Villa midfielder who then hit a 20-yard dipping shot over Guglielmo Vicario and into the back of the net. The closing stages of the half saw us apply some late pressure but the closest we came to regaining the lead was a Kudus cross which looked like it was going to be slotted home at the far post by Mathys Tel but he missed the ball and we went in level at the break.
After a quiet opening to the second half, we had a couple of opportunities in quick succession, the first from a classic Danso long throw which ended up falling to Odobert only for his shot to hit Ezri Konsa in front of the goal. Moments later, Palhinha struck a curling right-foot effort which Martinez pushed around the post with a fine diving save. Suddenly the game was opening up and at the other end, John McGinn threaded a ball into Donyell Malen but he fired into the side netting.
Both sides were having attacking opportunities without taking them as the game wore on until Villa scored a very good goal with 13 minutes remaining. Cash struck a sublime half-volleyed 40-yard pass out to Lucas Digne down their right, he controlled with one touch and flicked the ball to substitute Buendia with his second and the Villa midfielder moved infield before curling a wonderful right-foot shot beyond Vicario and into the far corner.
As we searched for a late equaliser, the closing stages saw a number of balls into the box from corners or Danso long throws, one Kudus corner looking like it was landing at the feet of substitute Randal Kolo Muani – on for his Premier League debut – but he missed his kick in front of goal, while another substitute Brennan Johnson had a chance after controlling at the back post but he then slashed his shot well wide and another home defeat was in the books.