Spurs' early promise fades as Villa inflict a second home league defeat on Frank's men

High Road readies for high jinx : Picture by @YTJourno

Premier League

Tottenham (1) 1 Bentancur 5

Aston Villa (1) 2 Rogers 37, Buendia 77

It had all looked so good. But the fifth minute goal which launched their afternoon proved highly misleading for Spurs as they drifted away during a poor second half to lose at home on home turf for the second time this season.

The spark went and there were a spattering of boos at full time - but there was no denying Unai Emery's team ended up deserved winners.

A goal of great simplicity got the ball rolling for the hosts. Mo Kudus swung a ball from the left to the back stick and Joao Palhinha headed back across goal for Rodrigo Bentancur to smash home.

With a spring in their step, there seemed the prospect of more. Kudus had the ball in the net, but was denied by a linesman's flag, and Wilson Odobert's low shot tested Emi Martinez.

Villa looked as if the heavy north London drizzle was sapping their enthusiasm at first but they have quality in their ranks - including England midfielder Morgan Rogers, who got the visitors back on even keel with a wonderful dipping hit over Guglielmo Vicario after a side-step around Xavi Simons outside the penalty area.

It was another sign that Spurs' afternoon was perhaps not destined to be clearcut given the fact skipper Cristian Romero had to withdraw before kick-off after hurting himself in the warm up. Kevin Danso deputised.

Both sides had chances to get in front soon after the break, with Palhinha having a shot tipped around a post and Donyell Malen clipping a through ball from John McGinn into the side-netting.

But it was the visitors who started to look the better side and they won it with a beauty. Matty Cash's diagonal ball from the left was plucked out of the air by Lucas Digne's acrobatic touch and his lay-off invited sub Emi Buendia to cut inside and drill inside the far post. It was no more than they deserved.

Spurs: (4-2-3-1) Vicario - Porro, Danso, van de Ven, Spence (Johnson 86) - Bentancur (Sarr 86), Joao Palhinha - Kudus, Simons (Bergvall 79), Odobert (Kolo Muani 77) - Tel (Richarlison 60)

Villa: (4-2-3-1) Martinez - Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne - Onana (Ba, Kamara - Guessand (Buendia 61), Rogers, McGinn - Malen (Watkins 61)