Match Report: Spurs 1 Villa 2

Match Report: Spurs 1 Villa 2

After the Chelski game, our team was devastated by injuries and sending-offs. The next two games left us with ten players down, so considering… I thought we did pretty well against Wolves and Villa. We could have been winners in both games if we had taken our chances, but, alas, it wasn’t to be… what we did take away from both matches was that there is hope and a future with Ange Postecoglou in charge.

We were all over Villa in the first 20 minutes and could have scored four or five. Even though we left our third game with no points, optimism was still in the air. And Ange did say that it would take a few years before building the team he wants.

But before all that… Venables.

Before the game, we held a minute’s applause in memory of Terry Venables, our former player and manager… he was also the manager of the England football team.

We learned about his death on our way to the game.

Once in the ground, Terry Venables's image was displayed on the big screen and in the lounge.

We won just two major honours since Venables led us to the FA Cup in 1991, but a positive start to Ange Postecoglou's spell in charge has raised hopes of ending our 15-year trophy drought.

Venables was an innovative, attack-minded coach; he would no doubt have been impressed by our attacking play under Postecoglou, and despite losing our last two matches, that philosophy continued against Villa.

The match…

We scored after 22 minutes, but Villa came from behind to beat us.

Giovani lo Celso's deflected opener looked to have got us back on track after our unbeaten start ended with back-to-back defeats before the international break by Pochettino’s Blue Boys and Wolves.

In the Villa game, Pau Torres levelled with a header deep into the first half of added time before Ollie Watkins slotted in his 12th goal of the season to seal Villa's turnaround. We pushed for an equaliser but could not avoid a third straight loss.

Ange made four changes to his side, some of them enforced, and one of the players (Lo Celso) came into the side and opened the scoring after a lively start.

Lo Celso hit a fierce effort from the edge of the box from a Pedro Porro corner, and its slight deflection off Diego Carlos wrong-footed Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, and it went in the net. At this point, we were on fire…

It was Lo Celso’s first goal for us since September 2021, having had two spells on loan at Villarreal and only his second in the Premier League.

Destiny Udogie fired over earlier, Dejan Kulusevski struck a post, and Son turned Brennan Johnson's square ball over the bar.

After Lo Celso's opener, Kulusevski curled a shot narrowly wide, and Son had three goals disallowed for offside. Then, as we pressed forward late on, Ben Davies headed narrowly over, and Martinez denied Brennan Johnson, but we were still encouraged by our depleted side's performance.

Our style and football were as good as they have been since Ange took over.

Of course, it all changed once Bentancur was brought down, and he had to go off. With ten injuries and Villa not being a pushover, we did well, considering.

Next up is City, followed by the Spammers, Newcastle United, Forest and Everton… as they say… it doesn’t rain, but it pours. With such injuries, I am glad it is Ange in charge more than any of the other managers under Levy… including Pochettino.

Up the Spurs!

Glenn