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Tottenham Hotspur suffered their 21st defeat of the Premier League season after losing 2-0 to Aston Villa on Friday night.

Having one eye on the Europa League final on Wednesday, this match was more a dress rehearsal, and Spurs have simply gone through the motions. Not many fans will mind this result, or even how this domestic season has unravelled – if all is redeemed in Bilbao next week.

The first half earned rare praise for Spurs, especially after last week’s poor showing against Crystal Palace. It was a stark contrast, but only for 45 minutes. Second-half strikes from Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara were enough to seal a vital win for Villa, who remain in the Champions League hunt.

Ange Postecoglou rotated wherever he could, handing out minutes to four players under 21 and giving Sergio Reguilon his first Premier League start since lining up for Brentford back in 2022. Here’s how the match played out.

First half: Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur

It was clear Spurs didn’t want to over-exert – physically or mentally. The instructions were cautious. In contrast, Villa were at full tilt, knowing a Champions League place is on the line. So much so that, for most of the game, 21 of the 22 players were camped in the Spurs half.

Despite that, the first real opening fell to Tottenham. Ben Davies released Heung-min Son down the left, who found himself one-on-one with Emi Martinez. However, Son hesitated between shooting and squaring. In the end, the South Korean did neither and handed Martinez a tame pass.

Villa responded with Ollie Watkins playing a slick one-two inside the box before shooting straight into Antonin Kinsky’s gloves.

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Son came close again 10 minutes later with a trademark curler that landed just over. A minute after that, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert showed their French chemistry. Tel’s low cross found Odobert, who flicked it towards goal, only to be denied by Martinez’s reflex save.

Down the other end, Kinsky made a flying fingertip stop to deny Morgan Rogers for what looked like a certain opener.

Marco Asensio was a constant pain for the Spurs backline and much of Villa’s chances came through him. For Tottenham, Son was undoubtedly the brightest spark going forward, hungry to earn his place in the Europa League final XI.

Villa nearly found the opener before the break, with both Asensio and Konsa going close. But Kinsky and the defence held firm.

Villa entered the break having had 72% of possession and an xG of 0.81 compared to Spurs’ 0.28.

Second half: Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs saw a bit more of the ball after the break. Kinsky, again solid, launched a pinpoint throw to Odobert, who had the entire pitch to run at. But the Frenchman’s heavy touch wasted the opportunity.

Concern followed soon after as Pape Matar Sarr was subbed off just five minutes into the half. Although it seemed precautionary at first, he went straight down the tunnel with a member of the medical team. Postecoglou later admitted he had yet to speak to Sarr and isn’t aware of the situation.

Kevin Danso then threw himself into an excellent block to deny Ian Maatsen’s 20-yard effort. From the resulting corner, Tottenham switched off and paid the price

McGinn’s corner was nodded down by Watkins and Ezri Konsa dragged it through Bissouma’s legs into the bottom corner. 1-0 to Villa

Hardly a minute later, Villa almost doubled their advantage as Watkins was clean through. But Davies got a toe on the shot and Kinsky scrambled across to deny him brilliantly.

Villa weren’t done, though. McGinn tried his luck from distance a couple of times, but it was Boubacar Kamara who eventually found the net.

Morgan Rogers fed Kamara just outside the box. The midfielder, rarely seen this high up, dribbled past some weak Spurs defending and slotted into the bottom corner for his first-ever Premier League goal.

From that point on, there was no resposne from Tottenham. Although they introduced a few of their starters for Wednesday. Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke, and Rodrigo Bentancur came on for some pre-final minutes.

There was little else to report. Villa looked sharper, hungrier, and had more on the line. Just like that, the final whistle confirmed another defeat for Spurs.

Spurs Web man of the match: Heung Min Son

What’s next for Spurs?

A dismal domestic campaign now sees Tottenham with 21 Premier League defeats. The last time that happened, they were relegated – and that was in a 42-game season. An even shambolic bottom three spares us a very different conversation.

Still, there were both positives and concerns. Son rolled back the years, outpacing past the Villa defence at will. That only adds to Ange’s selection headache for the final. His forward options are overflowing, yet his midfield might be completely barren if Sarr doesn’t recover in time.

It might not even be a case of “pick whoever’s left” – there is no one left. Ange could be forced to change formation or push one of his forwards into the No.10 role. It’s far from ideal, but Spurs fans won’t care, so long as the next time they play, it ends with silverware.

It all comes down to Bilbao. Wednesday night. The UEFA Europa League final. The chance to turn a catastrophic season into a historic one.

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to push ahead with an offer for Eberechi Eze, who has been on their radar for a long time, but they are hoping to sign the player for less than his release clause.

Some players are linked with Tottenham Hotspur almost every transfer window, so much so that it becomes a bit of a meme among Spurs fans, with Leandro Damiao perhaps being the best example.

Eberechi Eze has now entered the same territory, with Spurs being frequently linked with him ahead of every transfer window. That is also the case this time out, with some outlets claiming Tottenham are front-runners to sign Eze this summer.

The only issue is Eze’s £68m release clause, which would have to be paid in one instalment, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Tottenham are ready to make an offer for Eberechi Eze but there is one problem

Football Insider now report that Spurs are keen to add reinforcements to their midfield, especially if they qualify for the Champions League via the Europa League.

The man they have set their sights on is Eze, with Ange Postecoglou’s men allegedly plotting an offer for the attacking midfielder.

However, the outlet says that Tottenham are not planning to pay the England international’s full release clause, with their offer expected to fall short of £68m.

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The report does not mention if such an offer will be entertained by the Eagles.

Eze’s interesting reaction when asked about Spurs move

Some pundits have said that Eze would not consider a move to Tottenham, insisting that he will want to join a bigger club which regularly competes for trophies.

However, earlier this week, Eze grinned cheekily when a Spurs fan asked him if he would join the club, which is perhaps a positive sign for the Lilywhites.

Ange Postecoglou has offered an injury update on midfielder Pape Matar Sarr following his early substitution during Tottenham’s defeat to Aston Villa.

It was a 21st defeat in the West Midlands for Tottenham Hotspur, who took on Aston Villa in their penultimate game of the Premier League season.

Indeed, the Premier League has all but ended for Spurs with the Lilywhites having nothing to play for, as they are currently 17th in the league.

With a Europa League final just a few days away, Ange Postecoglou would have wanted his side to go into the final with some momentum.

The Australian manager rang the changes in this one, as he was hoping his side would not pick up any other injuries before the final, with Lucas Bergvall, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison all set to miss out.

It was 2-0 on the night to Aston Villa, and Spurs did not appear to go unscathed, with Pape Matar Sarr being hooked off early in the second half, around the 50th minute mark.

Following his substitution, the Senegalese midfielder headed straight to the tunnel after being replaced by Yves Bissouma to receive some treatment.

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Ange Postecoglou has now shed more light on the midfielder’s fitness and the reason behind the change. The Tottenham boss has stated that the midfielder felt something in his back, but he does not think it is anything significant.

He told football.london: “Pape felt something in his back, we don’t think it’s anything significant, having spoken to him, but we’ll see.”

This does sound all too familiar, as Postecoglou’s post-match comments following Dejan Kulusevski’s recent injury suggested the Swede would be fine, only for him to undergo surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Heung-min Son returns to fitness ahead of Spurs vs Manchester United

It was not all doom and gloom for Tottenham, who saw their captain Heung-min Son start his first match since April in this tie.

Son has only just recovered from a foot injury, featuring for the first time against Crystal Palace, but from the bench.

This time around, the captain started from the off and got a solid 74 minutes of action into his legs ahead of the final tie against Manchester United.

Tottenham Hotspur prepare for the Europa League final on Wednesday with a 2-0 away defeat to Aston Villa, cementing their position down the bottom of the Premier League table.

Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham:

Ange Postecoglou is taking no chances

No offence to Sergio, but when Reguilon makes his first start since Tamworth in the FA Cup in January, you know Ange Postecoglou is taking no chances. You get the feeling that the Spurs boss had originally planned to name a strong XI to get some minutes in the legs of his best players this evening, but the Dejan Kulusevski injury spooked him into going the other way.

On the one hand, it means the likes of Micky Van de Ven, Cristian Romero, and Destiny Udogie avoid injury. On the other hand, it means they haven’t actually played for Spurs since the semi-final second leg against Bodo/Glimt. There will be some Tottenham fans who complain at this approach, but there would be plenty more complaining if those players started and picked up injuries in a dead rubber fixture.

Manchester United go strong ahead of Europa League Final

Ruben Amorim went for the complete opposite game plan against Chelsea this evening, naming his strongest-possible Manchester United XI at Stamford Bridge. That means players like Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Alejandro Garnacho, and Amad Diallo were all risked for the Red Devils.

While Amorim put their bodies on the line in what is essentially a pointless game for United, he also kept their minutes ticking over in pursuit of a fitness sweet spot. On the one hand, United will come into the Europa League final off the back of a tough game away to Chelsea. On the other hand, Tottenham may risk coming into the game cold. It’s probably one of those strange football situations that will even itself out in the end.

Two more injuries for Tottenham Hotspur

Another day, another injury… or two. This time, despite Postecoglou ringing the changes, it was Pape Sarr and Mikey Moore who came off injured for the Lilywhites. The Senegal midfielder was replaced around the 50-minute mark and grimaced as he walked off the pitch before disappearing down the tunnel with a member of the medical team. This is another huge blow for Spurs, as Sarr is in contention to replace the likes of Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, and Lucas Bergvall in the number 10 role.

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Towards the end of the game, Mikey Moore also went off with some kind of muscle problem. The second injury is perhaps not one that will dent Tottenham’s Europa League final hopes, but it serves as yet another reminder of how common muscular injuries have been for the Lilywhites this season.

Heung-min Son looking sharp on Tottenham return

One of the silver linings of the 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa was Heung-min Son’s return to the Spurs starting XI. Now, let’s not pretend that he set the world on fire during his 74 minutes on the pitch, but he did look sharp on the attack for Tottenham. The South Korean managed to get in behind Matty Cash a few times on the left side of attack, although his final ball often let him down. He also went close with a trademark Sonny curler in the first half.

In terms of getting significant minutes in his legs and getting him back to match sharpness, it went about as well as it could have for Spurs. Short of any random training ground issues, Son is nailed on to start for Tottenham in the Europa League final.

Number 10 argument still unanswered

Coming into this game, there were three main schools of thought to solve the number 10 void at Tottenham. Play Wilson Odobert as a makeshift number ten, push Pape Sarr up into the role as a high-press option, or play Dominic Solanke and Richarlison as a fluid two against Man United.

Odobert started the match up front in a two alongside Mathys Tel, but also dropped into the pocket regularly. Unfortunately, he didn’t have too much joy in the game and certainly didn’t control the attacking phase as Maddison or Kulusevski would normally do. Odobert also played the majority of the match, while Tel played 90 minutes, perhaps hinting that neither will start on Wednesday night.

The final whistle has just been blown on the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, and it is time for our full-time ratings.

Tottenham Hotspur have suffered their 21st defeat of their Premier League season, after falling to a 2-0 defeat at Villa Park to an Aston Villa side looking to book a spot in the UEFA Champions League next season.

Spurs will now go into their all-important Europa League final tie against Manchester United on Wednesday off the back of a defeat.

Let’s take a look at our Tottenham player ratings from the defeat at Villa Park:

Tottenham player ratings vs Aston Villa

Antonin Kinsky – A solid display in goal today against Aston Villa. He made a lot of great saves and even played Wilson Odobert in behind the Villa defence after catching from a corner. Cannot fault him for the first Villa goal, which came from a well-worked set-piece. He could have anticipated the second goal a lot better. 6.

Djed Spence – Has struggled defensively in this tie and has offered little going forward for Tottenham as well. A pattern that has become all too familiar in recent weeks. 3.

Kevin Danso – Was the better of the two centre-backs in the first half, making blocks and clearing crosses that came into the box. Carried on with that impressive display in the second half, often mopping up Spence’s errors. Was not at fault for either of the goals. 7.

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Ben Davies – Aside from his early long ball in the first half, the Welsh international did not have any real impact on the game. The second goal did come from his side of the pitch. 4.

Sergio Reguilon – Was taken off in the 74th minute after Villa grabbed their second of the night. Clearly lacking match fitness. His first-half display was quite good, but it looked like he ran out of steam in the second forty-five. 4.

Archie Gray – The 18-year-old was thrown in midfield for this one, and while he was solid in the first half, he definitely should have done better for Villa’s second – should have stepped up quicker to get a block in. Finished the game in the right-back spot. 5.

Pape Matar Sarr – Put in a good display in the first half, making a few defensive interceptions and tackles, although he struggled with Marco Asensio’s movements at times. He was taken off in the 50th minute for Yves Bissouma. 5.

Wilson Odobert – Had Tottenham’s best chance in the first half after his flicked shot was saved by Emiliano Martinez. In the second half, he could have been through on goal, but his first touch let him down. 5.

Mikey Moore – Worked really hard for the side, with his defensive and offensive work rate. Never stopped running, but he played a few loose passes in the final third. Did not complete the game, after going down injured – hopefully it is nothing serious. 5.

Mathys Tel – Did not stop running tonight, but aside from the cross he put into the box in the first half for Odobert, the forward did not have a sniff at goal, and the service was lacking. 6.

Heung-min Son – It was a 70-minute-plus cameo for the Tottenham captain, who was the brightest of the attackers in the first half. However, in the second half, his influence was severely hampered. 6.

Substitutes

Yves Bissouma – Came on for Pape Matar Sarr in the second half and slotted into the pivot role. Did not make any notable errors, neither did he do anything outstanding. 5.

Dominic Solanke – Came on for Heung-min Son, but Tottenham barely had any attack while he was on the pitch. N/A

Rodrigo Bentancur – Came in for Sergio Reguilon and played the final 15 minutes, as Ange Postecoglou looked to get some minutes into the legs of a few of his first-team regulars. N/A.

Brennan Johnson – Came on in place of Mikey Moore in the final four minutes. N/A.

The first half of the action has just ended between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa at Villa Park in the West Midlands, and it’s time for our half-time player ratings.

It is Tottenham Hotspur’s penultimate game of the Premier League season, but given their poor league campaign, it is of little importance to the club.

Spurs have their eyes set on bigger fish, with the Europa League final against Manchester United still to come on Wednesday.

Tottenham are managing an injury crisis, and Ange Postecoglou rings the changes in this matchup against Aston Villa, with the manager looking to avoid any more injury setbacks before the final.

Check out our Tottenham Hotspur player ratings from the first half at Aston Villa:

Tottenham half-time player ratings vs Aston Villa

Antonin Kinsky – A few nervy moments at the start, particularly when he misjudged a cross whipped into the box, but he was alert and came off his line when needed. Made a fine save from a Rogers effort in the box. 7.

Djed Spence – An early error on the right after his slipping to the ground in the box allowed John McGinn a chance on goal, but the Villa captain shot over the bar. Has been caught out of position multiple times and his defending has been poor throughout. 4.

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Kevin Danso – Has made a number of sweeping clearances from cut-backs and crosses into the Tottenham box, and was alert to the danger when Ollie Watkins looked to shoot at goal, putting in a solid block. Spurs could easily have gone behind had he not been switched on. 7.

Ben Davies – A steady first-half showing from the Welshman, who played a lovely ball over the top for Heung-min Son to exploit the space behind the Villa backline. 6.

Sergio Reguilon – A first Premier League start in a long while for Reguilon, and he has not looked out of place in this Tottenham backline. Got in the way of a few Matty Cash deliveries and has tried to get beyond Son, although those moments have been few and far between. 6.

Archie Gray – Back in the middle of the park, he has made a few tackles and put in some defensive work. Nothing particularly outstanding, but he has done the basics well. Picked up a yellow card after a rash tackle on Watkins. 5.

Pape Matar Sarr – Has looked composed in midfield, pinching the ball off Villa attackers at key moments, notably when Boubacar Kamara was played through by Watkins in the box. However, he has struggled to deal with Asensio, who keeps getting on the ball in midfield. 6.

Wilson Odobert – Has been inventive in the number ten role, dropping deep when needed and timing his runs beyond Mathys Tel cleverly. Had a good chance to put Spurs ahead with a well-improvised shot, but it was kept out by Emiliano Martinez. 7.

Mikey Moore – Tottenham have focused their attacking play down Heung-min Son’s flank, which has left Moore doing the dirty work on the opposite side. Has had to help out Djed Spence defensively. 5.

Mathys Tel – Plenty of running from the forward, who has shown no hesitation in making darting runs in behind the Aston Villa defence. Delivered a neat cutback for Odobert’s first-half chance. 6.

Tottenham Hotspur face Aston Villa in the Premier League this evening and the confirmed team line ups have just been announced.

With Tottenham facing Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday evening, the fixture against Villa takes a back seat in terms of the club’s priorities.

A horrific Premier League campaign has seen Tottenham lose a remarkable twenty matches in the top flight and are just one place above the relegation zone.

With everything now riding on victory against United in Bilbao, a seventeen-year wait for a trophy must come to an end to cover over the worst campaign to date in living memory.

Ange Postecloglou has decisions to make around his team selection after suffering more injury issues ahead of the final following Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at the weekend.

Dejan Kulusevski’s knee injury has ended his season after a challenge by Palace’s Marc Guehi saw the Tottenham winger have to undergo surgery.

What side has Ange Postecoglou selected against Aston Villa?

Along with Kulusevski, James Maddison’s season is over due to injury, while fellow midfielder Lucas Bergvall is also sidelined.

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This is the Tottenham Hotspur team which takes to the field at Villa Park:

Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Pau, Maatsen; Kamara, Onana, McGinn; Asensio, Rogers; Watkins.

Tottenham XI: Kinsky; Spence, Danso, Davies, Reguilon; Gray, Sarr; Odobert, Moore, Tel; Son.

Subs: Vicario, Porro, Bissouma, Cassanova, Bentancur, Olusesi, Johnson, Richarlison, Solanke

For those in the UK who are wondering how to watch Aston Villa vs Tottenham, the match is being televised live on Sky Sports with kick-off at 7:30pm.

What are Tottenham’s remaining fixtures in the 24/25 season?

There are just three fixtures remaining for Tottenham this season, with the Europa League final against Man Utd taking priority.

Fingers crossed the Tottenham first-team squad come through the Villa fixture with no fresh injuries.

Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Jobe Bellingham is expected to be boosted significantly if a couple of results go their way in the Bundesliga on Saturday afternoon.

Spurs have not been shy of doing their shopping from the Championship over recent years, and it appears that it is a strategy that the club plan on persisting with this summer.

It has been widely reported that Tottenham are ready to make a move for Jobe Bellingham after what has been a breakthrough year for the 19-year-old at the Stadium of Light.

However, last week, it was revealed that Borussia Dortmund had stepped up their pursuit of Bellingham, with the German club wanting the teenager to follow in the footsteps of his older brother by making a name for himself at the Westfalenstadion.

Tottenham’s pursuit of Jobe Bellingham depends on Borussia Dortmund

Football Insider have now claimed that Spurs’ chance of landing the 19-year-old will receive a significant boost if Dortmund fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

It is revealed that should the Bundesliga giants not secure passage into Europe’s premier club tournament, they would not be able to meet Sunderland’s £25m asking price for Jobe Bellingham.

Niko Kovac’s side sits in fifth place in the table ahead of their final league game at home against already-relegated Holstein Kiel.

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They need to get all three points and hope that fourth-placed SC Freiburg drop points at home against Eintracht Frankfurt in order to squeeze into fourth place and secure Champions League qualification.

Tottenham’s pursuit of Bellingham depends on one more factor

The outlet also explains that Sunderland will only be forced to sell their midfield starlet if they fail to get promoted to the Premier League.

If the Black Cats manage to secure passage into the top flight, they are expected to resist offers for Bellingham, and they would be in a strong position to do so, given the financial boost that comes with playing in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur showed keen interest in signing a Danish starlet, but refused to pay a modest fee for him, and the North London club will already be regretting that decision.

Spurs have shown that they are keeping a close eye on the best emerging talents from Scandinavian football, with the club’s technical director, Johan Lange, perhaps driving that change in strategy.

We saw that with Tottenham’s acquisition of Lucas Bergvall, which has proven a masterstroke, with the 19-year-old making huge waves in his first season at N17.

Spurs have also been heavily linked with a move for Copenhagen’s Roony Bardghji, and perhaps the North London club would have made a move for him already if not for the ACL injury he suffered last year, which he only recently recovered from.

Midfielder’s price has quadrupled since Tottenham’s refusal to pay £5m

It is now being reported by Tipsbladet that Spurs have also had their eye on another of FC Copenhagen’s gems: Victor Froholdt.

The outlet claims that the Premier League side have been watching the 19-year-old midfielder for a long time but decided against making a formal offer for him.

This was because the Lilywhites felt that the £5m that Copenhagen wanted for Froholdt was too high a price. However, the youngster has had an outstanding campaign since and has even broken into the Danish national side.

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It is alleged that he is now valued at £15-£20m, and it is not revealed whether Tottenham Hotspur would be willing to come back in for Froholdt this summer at that price.

Will Tottenham change their transfer strategy this summer?

Tottenham’s policy of signing young, up-and-coming talents and giving them a platform to develop into finished products has been moderately successful.

However, with Ange Postecoglou potentially set to depart Tottenham at the end of the season and with question marks over Johan Lange’s future at Spurs, we might see the club’s strategy evolve this summer.

Ben Davies is determined to finally have a winners’ medal to show for his 11-year spell at Tottenham Hotspur, with the Welshman admitting that it will be a dream come true to hoist the Europa League trophy in Bilbao next week.

With less than a week left until the Europa League final at the San Mames between Tottenham and Man United, the excitement is now building among Spurs fans.

The players are acutely aware of how big an achievement it will be to lift a trophy, given that the club have not won any silverware for 17 years.

Micky van de Ven has said that the club are desperate to shed their ‘Spursy’ tag by winning the trophy, while club captain Heung-min Son has described the final as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make history.

Davies wants to change the narrative around Spurs

The only player who has been at the club longer than Son is Davies, who has now completed 11 seasons in North London, but his time at the club may be about to end, with his contract running out next month.

The 32-year-old has experienced plenty of highs and lows during his time at Tottenham Hotspur, and he admits that it would be incredibly special to finally get his hands on a trophy.

When asked if he is daring to dream ahead of the final, Davies told Tottenham’s official website: “Yes, I’m not one of those who will try to push it away. If anything, you can try to manifest it if you think about the good things, so that’s what I’m sticking to.

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“It would be incredible, something… having been involved in a lot of European competitions, you realise how hard it is. To get over the line this time, it would mean so much.

“The teams we’ve had, the players we’ve had, we’ve all dreamt of this but just fallen short. Now we have the chance to do something special, to change the narrative, and we’re all hoping we can do that.”

Ben Davies explains how his role at Tottenham has changed

Davies has previously been a regular in the Tottenham squad under the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, but he has been restricted to more of a fringe role under Ange Postecoglou.

The former Swansea man admits that as one of the senior players in the side, his role is now to mentor his younger teammates and use his experience to help them navigate the challenges they face.

When asked how his role in the squad has changed over the years, Davies responded: “It’s like a mentor role. I speak to a lot of the boys now about their feelings going into games, after games, and sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture and realise for some of these guys the pressure and anxiety that can bring can really challenge them.

“I’m a calm head who has experienced it and knows you always have the chance to rectify things in the next game. It’s a great group. Everyone has gone through highs and lows this season. It’s been really tough at times and, sometimes, that can really bring you together. I’m hoping for one more time it will be a big high.”