30/04 - 20:00
30/04 - 20:00
Aston Villa moved into the top four of the Premier League after an action-packed victory over Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday - the Villans coming from behind to win 2-1 in a game that saw a further four goals ruled out for offside.
A thrilling contest saw Tottenham take the lead in the first-half thanks to Giovani Lo Celso's fierce strike, but Villa fought back and levelled on the stroke of half-time through Pau Torres.
The game continued to flow from end-to-end in the second period, but it was England's Ollie Watkins who grabbed the eventual match winner - the striker firing past Guglielmo Vicario after a smart one-two with Youri Tielemans.
The Action: A lively encounter saw both sides play attractive football from the off, hosts Tottenham starting with a makeshift backline comprising of four full-backs with Ben Davies and Emerson Royal the central defensive pairing.
Spurs went straight onto the attack and they were inches from taking the lead just three minutes in when Dejan Kulusevski's bent shot hit the frame of the goal before bouncing to safety.
Tributes were made before the game to former Tottenham manager Terry Venables and 'El Tel' would have been delighted with the quality of the football in a first-half that ignited on 22 minutes when the home side took the lead.
Pedro Porro's corner from the right ran all the way through to midfielder Giovani Lo Celso on the edge of the box and his fierce left-footed strike took a small deflection on its way past Emiliano Martinez in the Villa goal.
Within a minute Villa went straight up the other end only for an Ollie Watkins effort to be chalked off for the narrowest of offside decisions.
Tottenham's injury curse struck again moments later, however, when Matty Cash clattered into Rodrigo Bentancur, who was subbed after a failed attempt to shake off his injury.
A frantic game then saw Spurs taste the disappointment of an annulled goal - Son racing clear and finishing fantastically only for VAR to disallow the goal for another, more obvious, offside.
A half packed with excitement had a fitting sting in its tail and Villa dragged themselves level in the sixth minute of added time. A wicked inswinging free-kick from Douglas Luis was met by a powerful Pau Torres header to bring the curtain down on a breathless half and make it 1-1 at the break.
The thrills continue...
The entertainment continued after the interval, the first clear cut opening falling to Leon Bailey whose shot squirmed out of the grasp of Guglielmo Vicario before bouncing back to the grateful goalkeeper off the post.
Spurs then went close twice themselves, Brennan Johnson agonisingly close to converting a Kulusevski cross, and Son then seeing a second goal disallowed after Johnson had squared to him from an offside position.
As this match report hopefully conveys, it was thrill-a-minute stuff...and Villa took the lead just before the hour mark after a lovely bit of football. Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins worked a one-two on the edge of the hosts' box before the latter steadied himself and drove past Vicario to put the Midlanders 2-1 up.
Ben Davies headed over on 67 minutes, as Tottenham searched for an equaliser, but Villa almost extended their lead courtesy of Lucas Digne's free-kick - clawed to safety by Vicario - and Watkin's flashed header wide from the subsequent corner.
Visiting keeper Emiliano Martinez then enjoyed five minutes in the limelight, the Argentine World Cup winner making fantastic saves in quick succession from Johnson and Emile-Pierre Hojbjerg - Watkins somehow nodding wide at the other end from John McGinn's dinked cross.
Son then had his THIRD goal of the afternoon ruled out for offside - the South Korean's instinctive strike ruled out after Pedro Porro's shot had rebounded off the post.
Ange Postcoglu's Tottenham plugged away until the end, but were unable to find the equaliser they needed - and Villa subsequently leapfrogged their hosts to go fourth in the top flight.
xG: Tottenham (2.34) 1-2 (1.86) Aston Villa
1-2 | ||
Giovani Lo Celso 22' | Pau Torres 45' Ollie Watkins 61' |
