Tottenham 4-1 Aston Villa: Dominic Solanke brace sparks comeback

What is it about teams that play in claret and blue and capitulating here at Tottenham?

Just two weeks ago, West Ham were ahead 1-0 at the break only to be pummelled for four without response in the second half.

On Sunday, Morgan Rogers’ first-half effort had Aston Villa on course for victory at half-time only for Spurs to administered another four-goal chastening as Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke’s brace and James Maddison guided Spurs to another stirring comeback.

Ange Postecoglou deserved his Sunday night drop of claret after that electrifying resurgence.

In contrast, Unai Emery was feeling blue en route back to the Midlands.

His team inexplicably lost their way here; a submission out of character with the formidable side he has built.

Not that any of that is Tottenham’s concern, as the north London side backed up their Carabao Cup win over Manchester City on Wednesday with another delirious triumph over one of England’s Champions League contingent.

Tottenham hope to be where Villa are next season – back among European football’s elite.

More performances like their second half showing here, they will go very close.

That positivity must be tempered with a semblance of realism, though after a first-half display lacked gusto.

Morgan Rogers fired home from close range from Lucas Digne’s corner to put Villa head and inflict on Spurs their latest set-piece aberration.

The delivery from Digne was wicked. Guglielmo Vicario did well, in-fact, to react to team-mate Pedro Porro’s miscued header before Rogers smashed home the rebound from a yard.

Nonetheless, Tottenham’s record from defending set pieces under Postecoglou goes from bad to worse.

There is no right or wrong answer, to Postecoglou’s insistence that he doesn’t need a specialist set-piece coach.

You do wonder, however, if Tottenham would benefit from an addition to Postecoglou’s staff given their struggles from dead ball defending.

This was Rogers’ third goal of the season, further tangible proof of his emergence as one of English football’s most promising attacking talents.

A timely reminder, too, for England interim head coach Lee Carsely, who selects his squad for the games versus Ireland and Greece on Thursday.

Rogers’ pass into Ollie Watkins’ path in the 43rd minute to send his Villa colleague clean through another example of his quality. 

Watkins couldn’t provide the finish the pass deserved, leaving Emery to react animatedly in his technical area.

Opportunities like that are hard to come by, what followed in the second half would have compounded the Spaniard’s irritation.

Elsewhere for Villa, Amadou Onana was having a storming game in central midfielder.

The Belgian was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, too; a combination of Vicario’s hands and the foot of the post preventing Onana from opening the scoring in the 30th minute.

As for Spurs, the fact they were booed off at half-time summed up their first half.

Solanke cut an isolated figure at No 9, while Onana and Youri Tielemans controlled the game from midfield for Villa.

Postecoglou – at this point – may have regretted his decision to bench chief creator Maddison in favour of Rodrigo Bentancur and Papa Matar Sarr in search of greater defensive balance.

But his team burst in to life in the second half, as they dripped with attacking thrust.

First, Villa’s defence could do nothing to prevent the quality of Son’s delivery into the box, allowing Johnson to spark the second half revival.

The Korean, positioned out on the left, popped his head up before arcing a sumptuous ball that Johnson prodded home for his seventh of the season in the 49th minute.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium erupted. They weren’t at the races in the first-half. They were back on the horse early in the second. Not only that, but in ascendancy, though there was some surprise when Postecoglou hooked Son before the hour mark.

Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind; this was Son’s first game back after injury. Nevertheless, the look on the Tottenham captain’s face was picture.

The miffed reaction that followed on the bench merely re-affirming his ire. Moments later Postecoglu was forced into another change, Cristian Romero limping off in place of Ben Davies, who took his place in the heart of Spurs’ defence alongside Radu Dragusin – who was only in the team to replace the inured Micky van de Ven – to make up a makeshift centre back pairing.

Emery, too, wasn’t without his issues; Matty Cash also walked delicately off to be replaced by Diego Carlos.

Ultimately, however, it was Tottenham who stormed to a huge three points.

Solanke’s delightful finish over Martinez in the 75th minute was exquisite but the pass from Dejan Kulusevski to unlock the Villa defence was as delicious.

Spurs endured a nervy VAR check for offside – but that just prolonged the agony for Villa.

Indeed, Solanke smashed home Spurs’ third 11 minutes from time as Pau Torres gifted the ball to Sarr, who released to Richarlison who put the ball on a plate for the club’s record signing to ease any late tensions.

Worryingly for Spurs, Richarlison – who has only just returned to from a long-term injury absence – limped off immediately after supplying the killer pass for Solanke’s second with what appeared a hamstring problem.

But that didn’t kill the vibe here in north London as Maddison, off the bench, curled home a peach of a free-kick in injury time to ensure Tottenham emulated their four-goal salvo against the other team in claret and blue.