Premier League

TOTTENHAM 1 (Bentancur 5)
ASTON VILLA 2 (Rogers 37, Buendia 77)

ASTON Villa came to Tottenham’s N17 home ground this afternoon (Sunday) and showed Thomas Frank’s side how a bit of magic up top wins games.

Two goals from the visitors, via a brilliant Morgan Rogers drive from distance and then a devastating team goal late on, sealed the points.

Spurs had taken an early lead through Rodrigo Bentancur but failed to then turn possession into meaningful threats. Frank can have no complaints after being undone by his opposite number, Unai Emery – a manager he has now not defeated in six attempts.

Speaking after the match, Frank acknowledged it was two pieces of class that won it. He said: “In those very small moments, they had more quality. I felt the game deserved to be a draw. I look at the performance on the pitch – we did well; I’ll look at the bits we need to improve.

“We gave away what, eight shots? Not even a cross, more or less, and Vicario didn’t have a save. If you had said to me before the game, ‘they will shoot from there, Rogers and Buendia’, from that situation, I would say, ‘it’s not dangerous’ – but it was fantastic quality.”

Things started well for the home side, but in typical Tottenham fashion, they scuffed the opportunity to move up to the nose-bleeding heights of second in the table.

The opener came on five minutes. Villa had started positively, but Tottenham’s hustle via Wilson Odobert won respite from the pressure when he forced a corner. It was cleared as far as Djed Spence, who handed it on to Mohammed Kudus. The winger’s cross was met at the back post by Joao Palhinha, who nodded down for Bentancur to sweep home.

But while Tottenham looked capable of dealing with Villa’s attacks – Kevin Danso, in for skipper Cristian Romero, who got injured during the warm-up, had a standout game – they were only undone by two wonderful goals.

Spurs lacked composure up front. Mathys Tel worked hard but is no target man, and second half substitutes Richarlison and new boy Randal Kolo Muani made little impression. For all of Kudus’s trickery and directness, the winger had frequently found no one making the runs when he’d done the business of beating his man.

Emery’s side drew level on 37 via a breathtaking strike by Rogers. Spurs had been linked with Rogers over the summer, and the goal illustrated why: he made himself a modicum of space after Xavi Simons slid across to try and block him, and then from outside the box the midfielder buried a dipping effort that whooshed past Guglielmo Vicario.

The second half saw Tottenham dominate the early passages of play. A close-range shot by Simons was blocked and a Palhinha effort flew just wide.

But it was flattering to deceive. Villa’s second on 77 was another super finish. Matty Cash played a great, volleyed first-time pass out wide as he mopped up a Spurs clearance. Lucas Digne brought it down and tee’d up sub Emiliano Buendia. His arrowed effort from distance left Vicario well-beaten.

Spurs have now lost to Villa and Bournemouth, and forced a draw against Wolves at home. The opener against Burnley remains the only three points won in N17 so far. Frank needs to get Dejan Kulusevski back and work out the right formula in the attacking third, which, so far this term, has been disappointing.

Tottenham: Vicario, Porro, Danso, van de Ven, Spence (Johnson, 86), Bentancur (Sarr, 86), Joao Palhinha, Odobert (Kolo Muani, 79), Simons (Bergvall, 78), Kudus, Tel (Richarlison, 60)
Substitutes not used: Kinsky, Gray, Byfield

Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne (Maatsen, 82), Onana (Barkley, 82), Kamara, McGinn, Guessand (Buendia, 61), Rogers, Malen, (Watkins 61)
Substitutes not used: Bizot, Lindelof, Elliott, Sancho, Bogarde