Tottenham Hotspur finally find the back of the net (only when the match was already lost)

Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur (0) 2 Gallagher 87, Van Hecke 90 (+7)

Aston Villa (1) 3 Manzambi 45 (+3), Jackson 67, Buendia 79

Tottenham Hotspur has dropped to the bottom-three after a 2-3 home defeat against Aston Villa.

And when they finally scored, in the 87e minute, there was hardly anyone left to cheer. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was more than half empty when substitute Connor Gallagher finally broke the duck for Spurs after nearly 450 minutes of Premier League-football. The problem being that Aston Villa already scored three times in this sumptuous relegation battle. Spurs even scored twice when Jan Paul van Hecke headed home in the seventh and final minute of extra time.

It was a small consolation for the tall Dutch defender, who had a mare of a game, unable to stop the outstanding Aston Villa striker Nicolas Jackson. Halfway the second period Nigerian was responsible for a brilliant second goal for the visitors. He played one-two with Johan Manzambi, flicked it over Van Hecke’s compatriot Micky van de Ven to beat Antonin Kinsky with a low strike. The young goalkeeper got a touch, but his outstretched hand lacked the power needed.

This goal broke the back of sorry Tottenham. Only five minutes earlier sounds of relief and liberation had filled the packed stadium when the lively substitute Mohammed Kudus, in for a disappointing Mateus Fernandes, scored from the equaliser from close range. At last a goal for the club that has spent north of 360 million on new players during the summer. But it was not to be. VAR spotted that Andy Robertson had been offside before he gave the cross from the left. It was the correct decision.

To be honest. Spurs were unlucky against the fellow-strugglers from the West-Midlands. The home side lost world champion Pedro Porro, who hobbled off after only 18 minutes with an injury. Just before the end of the first half Van de Ven was forced off temporarily after a nasty clash of heads with Tyrone Mings. From the sideline the captain saw how Villa took the lead after Manzambi punished sloppy defending by the experienced Robertson.

It was hard not to feel sorry for Roberto di Zerbi’s side. Despite losing Porro so early Tottenham Hotspur played some good football against Villa, who had won the last two games at this ground. Savinho, Archie Gray and Sandro Tonali were all close to breaking the deadlock but Zion Suzuki was simply unbeatable in the Villa-goal. The Japanese international was awarded the Man of the Match award for all his heroics to deny Spurs.

In the second hall the crowd became increasingly restless, sounds of yesteryear, while the visitors became more dangerous, testing the static ‘Dutch Defence’ of Spurs. James Maddison came on after the Kudus’ disallowed goal, but the playmaker couldn’t prevent what was coming: two more goals from the Villains. The third was even better than Jackon's when Emiliano Buendía curled a ball in the far-left corner from more than 20 yards, out of reach of Kinsky.

Thousands of Spurs-supporters started to leave the stadium, in unbelief, missing the two goals that came way too late. 

Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Kinsky; Porro (Gray 14), Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson; Tonali (Gallagher 83), Bentancur (Bergvall 83), Fernandes (Kudus 46); Savio, Solanke (Maddison 65), Marmoush

Aston Villa (4-4-2). Suzuki; Wan-Bissaka (Cash 46), Mings, Lindelof, Ruggeri; Joao Gomes, Kamara (Mbaye 83), McGinn (Barkley 83), Buendia; Manzambi (Hemmings 71), Jackson (Abraham 88)

Attendance: 60.920