One of the best days in Ange-ball lore, and one that came against the grain. Tottenham lifted themselves from a torpid first half and Dom Solanke’s two goals were the difference. James Maddison, who began on the bench, completed a vintage session of the glory game. For Unai Emery, that can occasionally happen, though it is rare to see his teams lose control as they did.
90+8 min: What a turnaround for Spurs. They’ve given Villa a right old chasing and Unai Emery has retreated to his bench, where he has assumed the rictus visage of someone asked to deliver bad news.
90+5 min: Some afters once Diego Carlos fouls Solanke. Villa finding no way out here. Spurs seem the likelier.
90+3 min: Archie Gray is at full-back. Spurs press high, and Pau Torres is robbed by Solanke, who then wins a free-kick. Maybe not such a risk now, him and Johnson, with both on the scoresheet.
90+2 min: Villa dominating possession, looking for a way through. Spurs have defended well in this half, and that’s despite a highly makeshift defence.
90 min: Spurs relief as a corner is cleared. Then exasperation as 10 minutes of added time arrives. Ange starts pacing.
89 min: Spurs defend a throw-in well. And then clear the ball when Bailey tries to cut inside. Porro is bouncing down to suggest he too has a knock. So many injuries in the Premier League at the moment.
88 min: Jeers as Kamara attempts to find Philogene with an ambitious diag. It rolls over the sidelines.
87 min: Espen gets in touch: “With the Wolves substitutions yesterday, and Ange today, I’m starting to wonder if managers actually know more about this stuff than the fans.”
They sometimes get it right, right?
86 min: Maddison has a smile on his face. It may be a while until he finds a way back into the team.
84 min: The Spurs fans enjoying this. Though some of them may remember Brighton. They couldn’t, could they? Seems unlikely, Villa are licking their wounds and have Club Bruges to face in midweek.
80 min: Richarlison is down, and got hurt during the celebrations.
Emery makes a triple sub: Philogene, Bailey and Kamara on, McGinn and Ramsey off. Tielemans off, too.
Sarr seizes on Pau Torres’ pass, and plays it wide to Richarlison, who patiently awaits the speeding Solanke to charge on and place beyond Martinez.
78 min: Villa wake up, and suddenly there’s spaces in their defence to exploit as they chase an equaliser.
77 min: Ange stands, doing Ange. Hands in pockets. His team have been so much better in the second half, full of danger and creativity.
76 min: VAR in action…was Solanke onside…Konsa had played him on. That was such a Spurs goal.
Sarr and Bissouma stroke the ball around, Onana is robbed. And suddenly an exchange of passes, Kulusevski plays the ball through and Solanke’s finish is a beauty, right foot, dink, shades of a Hoddle finish.
73 min: Spurs pushing on here, Villa having to defend. Pau Torres steps out to rob Kulusevski, who has been quiet.
71 min: Rick Harris gets in touch: “Seems a huge blunder from Big Ange not to have started with Timo Werner. Werner is probably the epitome of ‘confidence player’ and after his midweek goal and the shot that brushed the post I would have selected him just to see if he might go on a scoring run like he did in the Bundesliga and which persuaded Chelsea to sign him.”
No Timo, no Maddo. Risky business, Ange.
70 min: Rogers is muttering to himself. Maybe he should pal up with Son, also on the bench against his wishes.
69 min: Duran is on, even though Rogers didn’t want to leave the field.
67 min: Rogers is surely done for the afternoon. And here comes Duran.
I made a break, I run out yesterday Tried to find my mountain hideaway Maybe next year, maybe no go
I know you’re watching me every minute of the day, yeah I’ve seen the signs end the looks, and the pictures They give your game away, yeah
66 min: Sarr, who can be very good on his day, smashes a long-range shot wide. Morgan Rogers is again injured. Sarr fell into him with the momentum of his shot.
64 min: All those injuries, and rejigs have slowed down what threatened to be a good game. It’s there to be won by someone.
62 min: Mark Hooper: “Johnson’s first goal in over a month’ is a bit harsh - he had 7 from 7 at the international break?” The word was “almost”. And I don’t know how to tell you this but 6 October to 2 November is almost a month. Time can be a harsh, cruel mistress. It’s his first in five matches.
61 min: Onana down now with a head injury. But apparently fine to continue.
58 min: Matty Cash has an injury, and so does Morgan Rogers. As does Romero, who wants to go off. Ben Davies will be coming on. Cash goes off, Diego Carlos (once a Spurs target?) is on. Romero’s boot is off. A foot injury? Micky van der Ven is in the crowd, wearing a black, Elon Musk-style cap. Kendall Roy maybe.
56 min: Spurs subs: Richarlison and Bissouma on, with Son and Bentancur off. Son doesn’t look happy. “Who? Me?” Yes, you. Still, at least he provided that goal. Maddison? Not yet.
55 min: So, a set piece. How will Spurs manage this? They escape, only just. The ball comes out and McGinn thwacks wide.
54 min: Watkins felled by a combine harvester of a tackle by Porro. The first yellow card arrives.
52 min: Spurs suddenly fancy this. Son sends Udogie on, the ball finds Solanke who is backing up as he shoots. Martinez saves well. Then Spurs go straight back it, and Porro fires over. That’s the power of an Ange paint-stripper at half-time.
50 min: Neither Tottenham striker could have missed. Johnson’s first goal in almost a month. Emery is aghast at the defending.
Son, down the left, and he finds space and the right ball. Son and Johnson are queuing up, and Johnson pokes home. He’s onside.
48 min: Morgan Rogers down, and boos after he was clipped by Bentancur, The ref stops play.
47 min: Romero calls out as Watkins fouls him. No yellow given, though it was no worse than Bentancur’s foul in the first 45.
46 min: No James Maddison, though he has been warming up.
Half-time emails: Andy Flintoff: “Give Vicario some credit - he’d gone down to make a save from the flick on. It’s not then his problem that it bounces straight to the Villa player to poke in.”
Kari Tulinius: “This is a test of my hypothesis that Ange’s Spurs need adversity to perform to their potential. They certainly could do with a jolt of adrenaline. Mind you, they’ve been so blunt that any improvement could also just be interpreted as a reversion to the mean.”
Yash Gupta: “Even as a Spurs fan, it was clear Emery did well in difficult circumstances. Ozil was given stupid massive contract before him. He almost coached Arsenal to top four and Europa League trophy but Arsenal choked. Then Emery wanted Zaha in transfer window and Arsenal gave him Nicolas Pepe. Ramsey was allowed to leave as well instead of giving him a new contract. As for set-piece issues at Spurs, imo it is down to poor coaching and set-piece coach needs to be replaced for making Spurs players look like frozen dessert in both attacking and defending situations.”
Phil Grey: “Only half-time, but Villa have currently leapfrogged Arsenal. No prizes for spotting what the top 4 all have in common. And if Chelsea get at least a point at Old Trafford, it’ll be the top 5.”
Joe Pearson: “Prediction: Madison comes on and provides a bit of magic to get Spurs level. Then Emery sends on his not-so-secret weapon, Duran, to bang in the winner. Place your bets now!”
Spurs have been given something of a lesson in control and not being in possession for the sake of it. Villa sat deep, waved off the tepid Tottenham attack, then once Onana had almost scored, took advantage of Spurs’ jigsaw tendencies.
45 min: Unai Emery, despite his team’s control, isn’t happy. Ange just does Ange. Only one minute added on.
43 min: Bentancur fancies a dig. He fires over, and nobody else seems to think he had much of chance with that. That reflects how bereft of ideas Spurs have been.
42 min: Brennan Johnson on the burst, but Villa go on a dangerous counter, with Watkins given a clear sight on goal. Perhaps Romero puts him off but he’s gottae score there. What would Duran do?
41 min: Joe Pearson gets in touch: “I wonder if the Spurs fans were booing their defense, or because they thought Vicario was fouled. Or maybe they are just still in the Halloween mood and channeling their inner ghosts.”
Let’s have it right, Vicario just fell over.
40 min: Bentancur throws in a very ropey tackle on Onana, and isn’t booked. Onana has been doing a lot of good, strong work.
39 min: David Bertram gets in touch: “Bias villa fan here. Love your work on the pod. Rogers cost 8m. What a signing.”
No doubt. On the pod tomorrow, and will nick that.
38 min: “Keeper,” calls Martinez. Too easy, mate. Almost cruel on Ange.
37 min: Another Spurs corner, conceded after Cash comes to the rescue.
36 min: Tottenham get a corner. Villa clear with ease. That’s the way to do it.
34 min: Is it odd to wonder how someone from the country of rugby – both codes – and Aussie Rules is so bad at arranging set pieces? These events are often procedural, with margins to be squeezed. Vicario looked a solid keeper at the start of last season, now he’s entering Dracula and crosses territory. Sam Allardyce will be turning in his gravy boat.
33 min: That was a cheap goal to concede. Spurs do give them away, mind. Chaotic, and Rogers seized on a loose ball that should have been cleared.
29 min: Onana hits the post, climbing so high to head down, and Vicario can only smuggle behind. Villa suddenly stepping it up.
27 min: A series of fouls going in. Spurs look liklier, if nothing like likely.
