Aston Villa vs. Tottenham: 6 Things We Learned
Tottenham Hotspur progressed to the fourth round of the Capital One Cup after a comfortable 4-0 defeat of Aston Villa.
Jermain Defoe struck twice, either side of goals from Paulinho and substitute Nacer Chadli.
Andre Villas-Boas made a number of changes including handing a debut to new signing Vlad Chiriches and awarding fellow young defender Ezekiel Fryers his first Tottenham start.
After only a one-day break since their last match, Spurs put in a performance that was efficient without overly exerting themselves.
With Chelsea next up on Saturday in the league, it was the ideal job well done.
Paul Lambert made several changes to his Villa lineup but did not have the options to match his counterpart in the opposite dugout. Despite showing signs of life in the first half, they rarely looked like mounting a comeback after Spurs took the lead.
What else can we take from Tuesday's game? Read on for more...
Villas-Boas' Strong Lineup Underlines Spurs' Strength in Depth
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A year ago in the third round versus Carlisle United, Andre Villas-Boas fielded a youthful starting lineup featuring Adam Smith, Ryan Mason, Yago Falque and Andros Townsend (with substitute appearances from Tom Carroll and Jon Obika).
That was a decision partly informed by the lower-league opposition, with Spurs dispatching the League One outfit 3-0. In the loss to Premier League Norwich City a round later, Gareth Bale was also involved, but it was still a team mostly featuring what were (at least then) second-string players.
Villas-Boas rang the changes for Aston Villa this year, but it was testament to Spurs' strength in-depth that it did not feel like an understrength team.
Facing a Villa side without some of their key starters partly helped. Nonetheless, those who appeared for Spurs were thoroughly professional in their approach and were good money for their 4-0 win.
The Capital One Cup will likely rank lowest on the list of Villas-Boas' priorities this year. Yet with the players at his disposal, he will still be capable of engineering a run in the competition that lasts until the winter months.
Defoe, Holtby and Sandro Continue to Stake Their Claim for First-Team Places
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Testament to the aforementioned strength in depth at Tottenham were the performances of three players in particular—Jermain Defoe, Lewis Holtby and Sandro.
Defoe scored twice to take his tally to the season for six and also set up Nacer Chadli's goal. Holtby was responsible for teeing up both of Defoe's and also took the corner that led to Paulinho putting Spurs two up.
Sandro was the quietest of the trio, but was typically assertive in midfield and allowed Villa little time on the ball as Spurs sought to take hold in the first half.
Feasibly, none of these could start against Chelsea. The players they are competing with (chiefly Roberto Soldado, Christian Eriksen and the midfield pair of Mousa Dembele and Paulinho) are all performing solidly right now, too.
Yet, the aforementioned starters against Villa are all playing well enough to give Villas-Boas legitimate selection dilemmas.
Defoe cannot have done much more than has been asked of him when he has played so far this season. But for Eriksen being so impressive, the similarly productive Holtby might have seen more playing time himself already.
The coaching staff must work hard to keep these players motivated even when dealing with a lack of Premier League minutes. Should they prove successful, they will continue to have alternatives ready to come in and make a difference when needed.
Chiriches Will Need More Time to Settle but Looks Promising
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Vlad Chiriches finally got his Tottenham debut after a few weeks waiting on a work permit following his transfer from Steaua Bucharest.
The Romanian international played alongside Jan Vertonghen in central defense and early on against Aston Villa took time to settle. A couple of misplaced passes went alongside him nearly getting caught out by the home side's pressing.
Commendably, on one such occasion just after the half-hour mark, he immediately recovered the ball. Thereafter Chiriches' nerves appeared to ease.
In the second half, he launched himself into a confident, lung-busting run from deep inside his own half well into the centre circle. The Villa defense forced him into checking it, but he still almost managed to play in Chadli behind them.
Chiriches still looks a little way from being Premier League-ready, but he's not actually far off. The Europa League game versus Anzhi Makhachkala next week would seem an ideal occasion for him to further familiarise himself with his new club.
Elsewhere, Ezekiel Fryers put in a similar display of his own in his first Spurs start—initially hesitant, but he settled down soon enough.
Fellow youngster Harry Kane was in front of him on the left. Both performed decently enough and will regard it as a valuable outing in their respective developments.
Spurs Are Looking Strong in Defense but Will Face a Tougher Test This Weekend
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Tottenham have played nine matches this season in all competitions, winning eight of them. The only blemish on their record was the 1-0 loss to Arsenal.
That also happened to be the only goal they have conceded this season.
Chelsea on Saturday will provide the toughest test the Spurs defense have faced since that defeat. Oscar is a threat from anywhere around the penalty box, while the Blues have plenty of goalscoring threats elsewhere, too.
Villa's attack rarely caused Spurs the kind of alarm Chelsea will be capable of, but that was in part down to the latest in a run of strong defensive displays.
Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen both stepped up to ensure the less-experienced players beside them were not out of their depth. That confidence appeared to rub off on both Chiriches and Fryers as the game progressed.
Bar perhaps Peter Odemwingie's cameo contributions late on for Cardiff City last Sunday, Spurs have not been severely examined at the back of late. The Chelsea game may give us an even better idea of just how strong this current Lilywhite back line is.
Helenius and Kozak Toil in the Absence of First-Choice Support
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Nicklas Helenius will not soon forget this meeting with Tottenham.
Shortly after replacing Libor Kozak up front at half-time, Helenius found himself through on goal when a falling Jan Vertonghen tugged his shorts down. The Dane still managed to get a shot off, but he might feel aggrieved at not being awarded a penalty as compensation for his momentary embarrassment.
Overall it was largely tough going for Helenius and Kozak. Neither were able to cause the Spurs defense too many problems.
The more forceful Christian Benteke was certainly missed leading the line. Yet even in his absence, Villa might have fared better with the pace and attacking instincts of either Gabriel Agbonlahor or Andreas Weimann (though the former was not in the matchday squad either).
At least outside of Villa Park, the attacking pair are perhaps not always given the respect their performances deserves. Weimann in particular has been a vital source of energy for Paul Lambert's side with his persistent style.
Kozak and Helenius have the potential to make an impact for Villa. But they are clearly players who require close contact with teammates well within the final third to make a true impact.
Providing that—be it through Weimann, Agbonlahor or whoever—is something Lambert must strive to do as he takes his team forward.
Albrighton's Return Was a Welcome Sight for Villa
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Marc Albrighton made a welcome return to the Aston Villa lineup after a lengthy injury layoff.
Newspaper speculation by Alan Nixon in The Mirror (among others) last week linked the winger with a loan move to Derby County. Based on his showing against Tottenham, Villa would be advised to keep him around a little while longer at least.
Albrighton was arguably his side's brightest attacking performer. He got himself into good shooting positions a couple of times in the first half, though on the latter occasion he skewed his shot well wide.
Along with the similarly positive Aleksandar Tonev, he worked hard to give Spurs problems down the flanks, firing off a tempting cross on 67 minutes that deserved more than to go un-headed.
Nothing paid off for Albrighton, but the 23-year-old showed once more he can be a contributor to Villa. Now we wait to see how he figures in Lambert's plans.
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