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Tottenham Hotspur had four wins in five Premier League games with a 2-0 win at Villa Park; The impromptu strike duo Carlos Vinicius and Harry Kane found the net against Aston Villa.
After a poor opening half hour from the visitors, it took a moment of class from Harry Kane and Lucas Moura, the latter crossing for compatriot Vinicius to take advantage of an empty net to open the scoring. To say that the goal came against the march at that stage of the game would be an understatement, but despite his possession, Villa had not been able to test Hugo Lloris in the Spurs goal.
Tottenham looked poor defensively and was often exposed on Aston Villa’s right side. However, Villa missed the spark of the injured Jack Grealish and was unable to convert his dominance of the ball into shots on goal.
There were few chances to be noticed on both ends after the break in a game devoid of real quality, but the Spurs were able to double their lead when Harry Kane scored from the penalty spot after being brought down by Matty Cash.
With a cushion of two goals, José Mourinho’s team finished the game strong and cemented their place in the top six.
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Positive
Despite a terrible opening half hour, the Spurs found themselves ahead at halftime. Being ahead when they play so poorly will give them cause for optimism. Lucas Moura was a positive presence going forward, and the Spurs at least grew in the game and finished strong.
Highlights
- Mou criticizes Spurs for disrespecting their work GK Hart, Spurs, laments InstaLloris ‘mistake: Spurs’ Europa League exit is ‘disgrace’
2 Related
Negative
Tottenham are missing four running backs and, at times, seem very vulnerable on defense. Sergio Reguilon left space behind him on the left, which Villa took advantage of, while Joe Rodon and Davinson Sánchez look nervous without Toby Alderweireld alongside them. Villa’s last ball was bad tonight, but better teams probably would have punished the visitors.
Administrator rating (out of 10)
6 – Mourinho seemed concerned about the way his team started the game, but the opening goal brought them to life. In the end, however, what was a comfortable night for the visitors will not last long in the memory.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players submitted after 70 minutes are not rated)
GK Hugo Lloris, 6 – The Frenchman will have watched with concern the state of his defense in the first half, although it was not really tested during that period. He had to go out to make a cross in the second half, but overall it was a quiet night for the boss.
DF Japhet Tanganga, 7 – Tanganga was the choice of the four behind; He left little as a right back and increased his chances of maintaining an established place on the team. He made a big block to deny Ross Barkley later.
DF Joe Rodon, 5 – He came into the game after a slow start, but sometimes gave the ball away cheaply. The Spurs defense looked everywhere in the first 30 minutes but, looking back, Rodon restricted Villa’s attacking players to just one or two shots on goal.
DF Davinson Sánchez, 5 – He seemed to lose Trezeguet more than once in the opening exchanges, though both times led to nothing. A reckless challenge gave Aston Villa a free kick in a dangerous area, but like Rodon, he also grew in confidence as the game progressed.
DF Sergio Reguilón, 5 – He looked very tired and the players on Villa’s right side made several runs behind him. However, he seemed unburdened by the Spurs goal and kept attacking, pushing Villa’s overlapping full-backs back in the process. He was later replaced after taking a hit.
Lucas Moura was the pick of the pack when the Spurs achieved a comfortable 2-0 win at Aston Villa. Photo by Tim Keeton / PA Images via Getty Images
MF Lucas Moura, 8 – Moura, single-handedly, injected rhythm into Tottenham’s attacking game. He enjoyed several runs with the ball from midfield and it was his one-two with Kane that allowed him to cross for Vinicius to score the first goal. Villa struggled with his rhythm at all times; a great performance to cap off his 150th appearance with the club.
MF Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 6 years old – He had a busy night, mainly because those around him were guilty of giving away the ball too cheaply. He had a consistent presence and looked solid in the second half.
MF Tanguy Ndombele, 6 years old He looked comfortable on the ball and accomplished by taking it out from behind, even when in tight areas or surrounded by three or four Villa players. He played a little too deep to make an impact in the Villa half, but he always looked neat and clean.
MF Giovani Lo Celso, 6 – He combined well with Tanganga and covered well when the defender drifted to the center.
DEL Carlos Vinicius, 5 – He had done very little and was struggling to get into the game when he was tapped into an empty net. In his defense, it was his pressure on Emiliano Martínez that caused the bad clearance of the Argentine to Moura.
FW Harry Kane, 7 – He looked a bit lost in the final third of the first 30 minutes until he found room to feed Lucas Moura down the left in preparation for the winning goal. He came close with an effort in the second half and then converted from spot after being brought down by Matty Cash. He seemed more animated in the last half hour.
Substitutes
DF Ben Davies, 7 – He played well when he came in. He successfully closed off any access to the right that Villa had previously enjoyed, although his last ball at the other end sometimes put him down.
DEL Steven Bergwijn, 6 years old He had a great opportunity to break down the left and attack Villa’s area in the dying moments, but Ezri Konsa took him off the ball.
MF Moussa Sissoko, N / A – Teammate Tanganga showed the substitute how to get his body on the line when blocking a shot. Sissoko’s efforts compared to her teammate were … disappointing.
Source: espn.co.uk
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