Aston Villa 0-4 Tottenham Hotspur: Visitors close on Champions League spot

[Pelican Press 0]

Aston Villa 0-4 Tottenham Hotspur: Visitors close on Champions League spot

Brennan Johnson’s fourth goal of the season doubled Spurs’ second-half lead

Tottenham boosted their hopes of a top-four Premier League finish with an emphatic victory over 10-man Aston Villa at Villa Park.

In an encounter billed as pivotal in the race for a spot in next season’s Champions League, early second-half goals from James Maddison and Brennan Johnson set Spurs on their way.

And a seemingly leg-weary Villa side, who played at Ajax on Thursday evening, rarely looked capable of clawing their way back into the contest once captain John McGinn was dismissed for a reckless tackle on visiting left-back Destiny Udogie in the 65th minute.

With Spurs in complete control in the closing stages, stoppage-time goals from Son Heung-min and Timo Werner only served to rub salt into Villa’s wounds.

The hosts remain fourth in the table but are now only two points above Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs, who have a game in hand.

An underwhelming first ******* had seen the teams cancel each other out with Johnson’s low attempted cross from the left, which was easily gathered by home goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, the closest thing to resembling a shot on target.

However, Pape Matar Sarr’s superb cross from the right saw Maddison prod in shortly after the break and when home defender Ezri Konsa carelessly gave possession away deep in his own half, Johnson collected Son’s pass to double Tottenham’s lead.

With the home stands already emptying early into 10 added minutes, South Korea forward Son swept home his 159th goal for the north London club and provided Werner’s opportunity, with the *******’s placed close-range shot finding the right corner.

Scintillating Spurs punish Villa

With Villa aiming to reach Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since they were defending champions in 1982-83, skipper McGinn labelled their meeting with Tottenham “the most important game in the club’s recent history,” prior to kick-off.

However, in a first half in which they continuously attempted to play on the counter-*******, there were already signs that a fourth consecutive league victory might not be forthcoming.

While they showed plenty of application there was very little by the way of quality in the final third and they were not helped by Ollie Watkins struggling off the back of an early kick from Tottenham’s Dutch centre-back Micky van de Ven.

With Spurs having enjoyed the benefit of a full week to prepare, their sharpness and greater intensity told after the break.

Sarr’s willingness to run beyond a high Villa defensive line to brilliantly supply Maddison sparked Spurs into life.

Konsa’s careless pass towards Youri Tielemans provided a further helping hand, as did McGinn’s red card, which told in the later stages, allowing the visitors to pick Villa off to conclude a scintillating second-half display.

Player of the match

Son Heung-minSon Heung-min

Aston Villa

1. Squad number1Player nameE Martínez

2. Squad number11Player nameWatkins

3. Squad number2Player nameCash

4. Squad number14Player nameP Torres

5. Squad number6Player nameDouglas Luiz

6. Squad number17Player nameLenglet

7. Squad number4Player nameKonsa

8. Squad number31Player nameBailey

9. Squad number12Player nameDigne

10. Squad number8Player nameTielemans

11. Squad number19Player nameDiaby

12. Squad number7Player nameMcGinn

13. Squad number22Player nameZaniolo

14. Squad number47Player nameIroegbunam

15. Squad number15Player nameÁlex Moreno

16. Squad number3Player nameDiego Carlos

Line-ups

Aston Villa

Formation 5-3-2

1E Martínez

2Cash4Konsa17Lenglet14P Torres12Digne

7McGinn6Douglas Luiz8Tielemans

31Bailey11Watkins

• 1E Martínez
• 2Cash
• 4KonsaSubstituted forDiego Carlosat 85′minutes
• 17LengletSubstituted forZanioloat 58′minutes
• 14P Torres
• 12DigneSubstituted forMorenoat 58′minutes
• 7McGinnBooked at 65mins
• 6Douglas Luiz
• 8TielemansSubstituted forDiabyat 58′minutes
• 31BaileySubstituted forIroegbunamat 69′minutes
• 11Watkins

Substitutes

• 3Diego Carlos
• 15Moreno
• 19Diaby
• 22Zaniolo
• 24Durán
• 25Olsen
• 27Rogers
• 29Kesler-Hayden
• 47Iroegbunam

Tottenham

Formation 4-2-3-1

13Vicario

23Porro17Romero37van de Ven38Udogie

8Bissouma29Sarr

21Kulusevski10Maddison22Johnson

7Son Heung-min

• 13Vicario
• 23Porro
• 17Romero
• 37van de VenSubstituted forDragusinat 49′minutesBooked at 61mins
• 38Udogie
• 8Bissouma
• 29SarrBooked at 19minsSubstituted forBentancurat 70′minutes
• 21Kulusevski
• 10MaddisonSubstituted forWernerat 87′minutes
• 22JohnsonSubstituted forHøjbjergat 88′minutes
• 7Son Heung-min

Substitutes

• 5Højbjerg
• 6Dragusin
• 12Emerson Royal
• 16Werner
• 18Lo Celso
• 30Bentancur
• 33Davies
• 40Austin
• 44Scarlett

Live Text

1. Match ends, Aston Villa 0, Tottenham Hotspur 4.

2. Second Half ends, Aston Villa 0, Tottenham Hotspur 4.

3. Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Diego Carlos.

4. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

5. Foul by Diego Carlos (Aston Villa).

6. Foul by Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur).

7. Matty Cash (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

8. Goal! Aston Villa 0, Tottenham Hotspur 4. Timo Werner (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Son Heung-Min.

9. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

10. Foul by Tim Iroegbunam (Aston Villa).

11. Attempt saved. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Pedro Porro with a through ball.

12. Goal! Aston Villa 0, Tottenham Hotspur 3. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Dejan Kulusevski.

13. Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Diego Carlos.

14. Attempt blocked. Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

15. Foul by Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham Hotspur).

16. Álex Moreno (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

17. Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg replaces Brennan Johnson.

18. Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Timo Werner replaces James Maddison.

19. Substitution, Aston Villa. Diego Carlos replaces Ezri Konsa.

20. Delay over. They are ready to continue.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#Aston #Villa #Tottenham #Hotspur #Visitors #close #Champions #League #spot

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up