On a sodden Sunday in north London, Villa delivered a performance that was equal parts grit and guile, overturning an early deficit to claim a 2-1 win over Spurs. It was a result that not only extended our winning run to five in all competitions, but also served as a statement of intent from a side that has quietly rediscovered its swagger.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe match began in familiar fashion for Spurs, who took the lead inside five minutes through Bentancur. The Uruguayan’s well-taken half-volley, following a neat sequence involving Kudus and Palhinha, seemed to set the tone for a home side eager to climb to second in the table. But as has become a recurring theme at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, early promise gave way to late frustration. The boos that rang out at full-time were not new, nor were they undeserved.
Villa, by contrast, weathered the storm with a resilience that has come to define our recent resurgence. The equaliser came courtesy of Morgan Rogers. His goal was a thing of beauty, a looping 20-yard strike that left Vicario stranded and dipped under the bar. It was his first for the club since April, and it felt like a turning point.
Rogers’ renaissance has mirrored Villa’s own. After a stuttering start to the campaign, marked by a PSR-affected summer and a winless run in the league, we have found our rhythm. Rogers, once tentative and out of sorts, has now scored for England and Villa in the space of a fortnight, and his confidence is evident. Emery, who had admitted the midfielder was struggling earlier in the season, now once more speaks of him as a cornerstone of the side.
The winner, when it came, was an outstanding team goal, finished by Buendía. Introduced from the bench, the Argentine latched onto a clever control and flick from Digne—who had been released by a glorious half-volley from Matty Cash—and cut inside to curl a low shot into the bottom corner. It was Buendia’s third goal in four games, and it capped a move that was as incisive as it was unexpected. Emery’s touchline celebration said it all.
Tottenham, for their part, were left to rue missed chances. Kudus, lively in the first half, faded after the break, and their appeals for penalties—one for a foul on Digne, another for handball against Konsa—fell on deaf ears. Frank, who has inherited a side with a brittle home record, was left to defend another limp second-half showing. Three wins in eighteen Premier League home games tells its own story.
Villa’s ascent to tenth in the table is more than just a statistical footnote. It marks our return to the top half for the first time this season and suggests that the early-season malaise has been well and truly shaken off. The blend of youth and experience, of Rogers’ energy and Buendía’s craft, is beginning to bear fruit. Watkins, though goalless, added bite in the final half hour, and Emery’s tactical tweaks continue to pay dividends.
This was a fine fifth consecutive win and sets us up nicely for a midweek away tie at Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League.