Tottenham lost to Aston Villa

Without using a real central defender, Tottenham lost 1-2 to visiting team Aston Villa in round 13 of the Premier League.

The battle between the two top 5 teams did not disappoint the neutral audience, with chances continuously appearing at both ends. Both teams had more than 15 shots in this match, with Tottenham missing more good chances. However, Aston Villa knew how to take advantage of the opportunity to bring home three important points from North London.

Ollie Watkins (left) and Pau Torres both score for Aston Villa in their win over Tottenham in North London, round 13 of the Premier League on November 26, 2023. Photo: Reuters

The match saw the ball hit the post or crossbar three times, and the ball flew into the net four times but was not recognized. There was a situation where the away team's striker Leon Bailey curled the ball from outside the penalty area to the far corner in the 52nd minute, but goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario pushed the ball against the post. The ball bounced back to the right position, Vicario kissed the ball and continued the match.

The open game was expected, as Tottenham did not use proper centre-backs in this match. Coach Ange Postecoglou said before the match that he had only three mature defenders for this match: centre-backs Eric Dier, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp, but all three did not start. The home team's two centre-backs in this match are both full-backs, Emerson Royal and Ben Davies. Another full-back, Destiny Udogie, was pushed into central midfield.

Midfielder Brennan Johnson regrets not being able to tap in from close range from a cross from a Tottenham player. Photo: Reuters

The match was exciting right from the start, with Tottenham dominating the game. The expected goals (xG) index in the first 10 minutes was up to 1.42, meaning the total probability of shots was up to 142%. This index is higher than in seven full 90-minute matches this season, including the big match between Arsenal and Man City on October 8.

Tottenham had to wait until the 22nd minute to take the lead, though, when Giovani Lo Celso's long-range shot hit a defender and changed direction, leaving goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez stunned as the ball went into the net. Aston Villa, however, scored a crucial goal late in the first half, when Douglas Luiz's free-kick was sent into the box for centre-back Pau Torres to head into the top right corner to equalise. It was Torres' second goal in the Premier League this season.

Tottenham continued to pay the price for wasting chances in the second half. In the 61st minute, striker Ollie Watkins passed the ball to Youri Tielemans in the middle of the field and then escaped into the penalty area, before quickly shooting low across the corner. The ball did not roll too hard, but Watkins's quick foot caused Vicario to dive and not be able to save the goal.

A situation where Kulusevski (right) curled the ball into the Aston Villa post. Photo: Reuters

Tottenham have lost three games in a row, which has seen them drop from the top of the table and out of the Top 4. In all three games, they have come away empty-handed despite leading 1-0. In Premier League history, there have only been seven times a team has led 1-0 and lost three games in a row. Tottenham could extend their dismal run against Man City at the Etihad in the next round.

The team that knocked Tottenham out of the top four is Aston Villa. Unai Emery's team has won four of its last five games, continuing the phenomenon of the league. They are only two points behind Arsenal at the top of the table. However, two of Aston Villa's next three opponents are Man City and Arsenal.

Hoang An

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