Tottenham Hotspur finally found the back of the net in the Premier League this season, but their long-awaited breakthrough goal was not enough to rescue them as Aston Villa secured a dramatic 3-2 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
Spurs had entered the game without a league goal after their opening four matches, but even after Conor Gallagher ended that drought in the closing stages, Aston Villa had already built an imposing three-goal advantage through Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emiliano Buendia.
The victory gave Villa their first Premier League win of the season, while Tottenham remained without a league victory after five matches and finished the afternoon in the relegation zone with just two points.
Tottenham made the brighter start and could easily have taken the lead during an opening half in which Aston Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki became the visitors’ unlikely hero.
Suzuki produced a string of excellent saves to frustrate the hosts, including a remarkable double save from Savinho in the 11th minute. The Japan international also denied Archie Gray with his heel as Tottenham repeatedly threatened around the Villa penalty area.
Despite Tottenham’s pressure, Villa gradually grew into the contest and began finding opportunities on the counter-attack. Direct passes toward Nicolas Jackson caused problems for Tottenham’s defence, while Manzambi became increasingly influential.
Then came a huge blow for the home side in first-half stoppage time.
With 45+4 minutes on the clock, Villa punished Tottenham after the hosts lost possession inside their own penalty area. Micky van de Ven was temporarily off the pitch receiving treatment for a cut to his face, leaving Spurs vulnerable.
Boubacar Kamara’s effort was deflected after Villa recovered the loose ball, and Johan Manzambi reacted quickest to scoop the ball into the net from close range.
Tottenham 0-1 Aston Villa.
Kamara was credited with the assist, while Manzambi marked his first Premier League start for Villa with his first league goal for the club.
Tottenham needed an immediate response after the interval and appeared to have found it in the 60th minute.
Mohammed Kudus poked the ball into the net from close range after Andy Robertson’s delivery, sparking huge celebrations inside the stadium.
However, the celebrations did not last.
VAR intervened and the goal was ruled out because Robertson had been offside in the build-up. It was another frustrating moment for Tottenham, who had been desperately searching for their first league goal of the campaign.
Seven minutes later, Villa struck again.
In the 67th minute, Manzambi turned from goalscorer to provider. He combined brilliantly with Nicolas Jackson, who exchanged passes with his team-mate before driving into space and producing a composed finish beyond Antonín Kinský.
Tottenham 0-2 Aston Villa.
The goal underlined Villa’s growing threat on the counter and completed a magnificent individual contribution from Manzambi, who had now scored once and assisted once on his first Premier League start.
Tottenham’s afternoon then appeared to collapse completely in the 79th minute.
Villa captain John McGinn created space before delivering the ball towards Emiliano Buendia, who produced the goal of the afternoon. Buendia unleashed a spectacular long-range strike from around 22 yards that flew into the top corner, leaving Kinský with no realistic chance.
Tottenham 0-3 Aston Villa.
McGinn was credited with the assist, and Villa suddenly looked to be cruising towards their first league victory of the season.
But Tottenham finally broke their Premier League scoring drought in the 86th minute.
Substitute Conor Gallagher received the ball from Mohammed Kudus before finishing to make it 3-1. The goal ended Spurs’ extraordinary wait for their first league goal of the season and briefly gave the home supporters hope of an unbelievable comeback.
That hope intensified deep into stoppage time.
At 90+8 minutes, Jan Paul van Hecke rose to meet Andy Robertson’s delivery and headed the ball into the net, reducing the deficit to 3-2.
Suddenly, Villa were under serious pressure.
Tottenham pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but Aston Villa managed to withstand the late onslaught and protect their narrow advantage until the final whistle.
The match finished Tottenham 2-3 Aston Villa.
Despite scoring twice late in the game, Tottenham were left to reflect on missed opportunities and defensive mistakes that ultimately cost them. Villa, meanwhile, showed impressive efficiency when their chances arrived.
There were no red cards and no recorded efforts hitting the woodwork in the match. The major VAR incident was Kudus’ disallowed goal, while the opening stages were dominated by Suzuki’s excellent goalkeeping.
For Aston Villa, Manzambi’s goal and assist, Jackson’s clinical finish and Buendia’s stunning strike delivered a much-needed victory for Unai Emery.
For Tottenham, the wait for a Premier League win continues.
They finally scored.
Unfortunately for Spurs, Aston Villa had already scored three.
