Tottenham Hotspur defeated Aston Villa 4-1 in their Premier League match on Sunday. Here's a breakdown of the Spurs players' performances.
Tottenham, fresh from a midweek Carabao Cup victory over Manchester City, took on a challenging Villa side at home. Manager Ange Postecoglou was without Micky van de Ven, sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Wilson Odobert, but had captain Son Heung-min back in action. In midfield, Postecoglou went with Pape Matar Sarr, fresh off a goal against City, along with Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, leaving James Maddison on the bench again.
Villa took the lead just past the half-hour mark after a corner deflected off Pedro Porro and Bentancur before goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario could only push it toward Morgan Rogers, who scored from close range. This marked only the second set-piece goal Spurs have conceded this season.
Tottenham equalized early in the second half as Son delivered a low cross, which Brennan Johnson finished confidently on the run. Dominic Solanke then gave Spurs the lead, chipping the ball in beautifully after a key interception by Ben Davies and a clever pass from Kulusevski. Solanke scored again to make it 3-1, thanks to Sarr winning back possession and Richarlison setting him up with a precise low cross. However, Richarlison appeared to injure his hamstring during the play and was subbed off shortly after.
Maddison capped off the win with a stunning curling free-kick that beat Emiliano Martinez, nestling inside the right post. Here’s a closer look at each Spurs player’s performance:
Guglielmo Vicario – Managed a strong save from Onana’s header but couldn’t stop Rogers from scoring after a scramble in the box. Had little to do afterward. Rating: 7
Pedro Porro – Not particularly effective in attack and was involved in Villa’s goal, though he worked hard defensively as the game went on. Rating: 7
Cristian Romero – Looked off his usual pace early on, picking up a yellow card, but his play improved before he had to exit with a foot injury. Rating: 7
Radu Dragusin – Put in a solid defensive performance, including a crucial block on a first-half shot from Ramsey. Rating: 8
Destiny Udogie – Active on the left flank, setting up Solanke for a second-half chance and finding good attacking positions. Rating: 7
Pape Matar Sarr – Grew into the game and played a crucial role in the third goal, recovering the ball and assisting Richarlison in setting up Solanke. Rating: 9
Rodrigo Bentancur – Spurs’ standout player in the first half, although he had some close calls in the second, narrowly avoiding bookings. Subbed out before the hour mark. Rating: 7
Dejan Kulusevski – Quiet in the first half but bounced back with an exquisite reverse pass to assist Solanke’s first goal. Rating: 8
Brennan Johnson – Relentlessly chased down opportunities and was rewarded with his seventh goal of the season from Son’s assist. Gave maximum effort throughout. Rating: 8
Dominic Solanke – Worked hard with limited chances in the first half but took advantage when Spurs provided better service, scoring twice and winning the free-kick for Maddison’s goal. Rating: 10
Son Heung-min – Started slow but created the equalizer for Johnson with a well-placed low cross. Surprised to be substituted after recently returning to training. Rating: 7
Substitutes:
Richarlison – Delivered a great assist to Solanke before going off with an injury. Rating: 7
Yves Bissouma – Brought fresh energy to Spurs’ play in the second half. Rating: 8
Ben Davies – Made a vital block leading to the second goal and defended solidly. Rating: 8
James Maddison – Responded to being benched by scoring a beautiful free-kick. Rating: 8
Archie Gray – Came on in the final moments and did well with limited time. Rating: 6
Who was your MOTM?
Dominic Solanke
Pape Matar Sarr
Kulusevski
Other
Comments