It is simple at times to follow the scoreboard’s lead. This was a thrilling match between two teams energized by astute managerial choices. One could argue that the game’s pivotal moment occurred when Aston Villa managed to draw even at halftime, giving Unai Emery the opportunity to control the game with a double substitution that left a previously unstoppable Tottenham Hotspur with more questions to answer in the second half.
Emery demonstrated proactive management by remaining unfazed even after Pau Torres tied the score for Villa in the seventh minute of extra time. It would have been complacent to do nothing. Giovani Lo Celso had given Tottenham the lead, and they had dominated play. By the conclusion of the first half, they may have been well ahead.
Ange Postecoglou stated, “We probably win easily any other day.” In football, the margins are thin.
Postecoglou and Emery contemplated the opportunities that were lost. When the Villa manager had a chance to recover, he appropriately replied by substituting Youri Tielemans and Leon Bailey for Moussa Diaby and Matty Cash. The decisiveness was most noticeable when the goal came in the 61st minute. Ultimately, Tielemans was the one who made the pass when Ollie Watkins, eager to move on from a lackluster performance for England, scored the goal that lifted Villa over Spurs into fourth place and within two points of the top of the league.
Although Villa set a club record with 22 Premier League victories in a calendar year thanks to Watkins’ 12th goal of the year, Emery remained pragmatic. No discussion of a championship challenge took place. Instead, Emery offered some sober analysis, stating that seven teams have a greater probability of placing in the top four than Villa.
Maybe that’s why, following his team’s third straight loss, Postecoglou maintained his optimistic attitude. The Australian would have been more worried if Spurs, who will undoubtedly become better as important players return from injuries, had performed better on a day when they honored Terry Venables, their late manager and former midfielder who passed away at the age of 80.
From the beginning, the action was frantic. Spurs were threatened by Destiny Udogie and Dejan Kulusevski, the latter of whom struck the woodwork, and Villa were menacing from their crossing positions. Torres was horrified to throw a clear header over after John McGinn’s free kick when he was by himself.
Spurs honored their history of attacking. The walk down memory lane continued when the teamsheets arrived: Postecoglou had channeled his inner Ossie Ardiles by selecting a back four of full-backs, named one defensive midfielder, and given Bryan Gil and Lo Celso their first starts in the league this season. They remembered Venables before kickoff, who won the FA Cup as a Spurs player in 1967 and as their manager in 1991.
Ad Kulusevski had a chance to make it 2-0, and Son Heung-min’s goal was called back. Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara were being outmatched by Spurs in midfield, and Emery’s decision to utilize Cash in an advanced position was failing. The only noteworthy thing the right-back did was get cautioned for the tackle that resulted in Rodrigo Bentancur’s dismissal 32 minutes into the midfielder for Spurs’ first start since February.
But Villa made a comeback. With Ben Davies and Emerson Royal standing in for Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in center defense and Eric Dier unable to start, Spurs were exposed. Moments after Lo Celso’s goal, Villa believed they had tied the score, but a thorough VAR examination revealed that Watkins had strayed offside. There were no leaders at the back.
