By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Tottenham Hotspur’s troubled start to the Premier League season continued on Saturday as Aston Villa defeated them 3-2 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Aston Villa took control of the contest just before half-time when Johan Manzambi opened the scoring in the fourth minute of added time, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead at the break.
Tottenham responded after the interval and eventually levelled through Mohammed Kudus in the 60th minute. But Villa quickly regained control, with Nicolas Jackson restoring their lead in the 67th minute.
Emiliano Buendia then extended Villa’s advantage to 3-1 in the 79th minute with a fine strike, leaving Tottenham facing another damaging defeat.
Spurs mounted a late fightback when Conor Gallagher pulled one back in the 86th minute before Jan Paul van Hecke headed home in stoppage time.
But the late surge was not enough, as Villa held on to secure a 3-2 victory.
The defeat deepens Tottenham’s difficult opening to the campaign. Spurs entered the game without a Premier League victory and had failed to score in their opening four league matches.
Their previous league results included defeats to Brentford and Newcastle United, followed by goalless draws against Nottingham Forest and Everton. They had also suffered a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup earlier this week.
Saturday’s defeat means Tottenham remain without a league victory, despite finally ending their lengthy scoring drought.
For Villa, the result represents a significant boost after they had also entered the match without a Premier League win this season. They had lost to Brighton, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest while drawing with Hull City in their opening four league matches.
