Tottenham vs. Aston Villa: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur defeated Aston Villa 3-1 on Monday evening at White Hart Lane as new Villa manager Remi Garde watched on from the stands.
Spurs took the lead in just the third minute as Mousa Dembele beat Brad Guzan from a tight angle on the left. Dele Alli doubled the home side's advantage just before halftime with a well-taken half-volley from the edge of the box.
Villa improved in the second half, especially after the introduction of substitution Carles Gil, with Jordan Ayew pulling a goal back in the 79th minute. But Spurs withstood the pressure and secured the result with Harry Kane's fine strike on the counter in stoppage time.
Here, B/R selects winners and losers from the match.
Winners: Tottenham and Mauricio Pochettino
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Tottenham Hotspur are quietly enjoying a fine start to the 2015-16 Premier League season. Since losing at Manchester United on the opening day of the season, Spurs are unbeaten in 10 games, having won five and drawn five.
The only losses for Mauricio Pochettino's side during that time were against Arsenal in the Capital One Cup and Anderlecht in the UEFA Europa League. Through 11 league matches, Spurs have lost just once, which is tied with Leicester City (!) for fewest in the top flight. The defense has been particularly impressive, conceding just nine times (tied for second best in the league).
But as BBC Sport noted, Spurs still have room for improvement:
"As impressive as Tottenham's unbeaten run has been, Mauricio Pochettino's team were rarely tested before Villa's late surge. The hosts appeared guilty of complacency before Kane wrapped up the result with a fine strike following a flowing team move.
The result moves Spurs up to fifth in the table going into the north London derby at Arsenal on Sunday. But they will need to ensure they are more consistent across 90 minutes against their neighbours, who have been in fine form this season.
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With Monday's result, Pochettino's men leap-frogged West Ham United to claim fifth place and moved within one point of Manchester United in fourth. So how good are Spurs? We should know more after this week.
Up next are rematches against the two sides that have beaten Tottenham most recently. On Thursday, Anderlecht visit White Hart Lane for the return fixture in Europa League Group J. Three days later, Spurs visit Arsenal for a match that could prove pivotal for both teams' aspirations.
Victory in the latter game would underline Tottenham's top-four credentials. Defeat wouldn't necessarily rule out a challenge for a Champions League spot, but it would damage Spurs' morale after such a long unbeaten run in the league.
Losers: Ciaran Clark and Gabriel Agbonlahor
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Aston Villa made a game of it in the second half, but the first 45 minutes were a different story. Tottenham scored early and late in the half, and Villa offered almost no threat of their own. In between goals, the visitors were somewhat solid at the back, but it would be a mistake to praise Villa for that after conceding twice by halftime.
Poor individual performances were common throughout the side, but we'll single out two here. First, Ciaran Clark must take a hefty amount of blame for Spurs' opening goal in the third minute. The visitors seemed to pose little threat when Danny Rose dumped an innocuous-looking pass down the left flank, but Dembele turned Clark and quickly scored a goal from almost nothing.
It shouldn't even have been a chance. Clark only had to close down Dembele along the touchline, either shepherding the attacker out of play or forcing a back pass. Instead, Clark allowed Dembele too much space, and Dembele took full advantage, showing great strength once he had an opening.
Second in line for criticism is Gabriel Agbonlahor, who took just eight touches in the entire first half, according to Sky Sports. As Squawka noted, two of the striker's seven completed passes came from kick-offs.
Caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald said after the match that Rudy Gestede replaced Agbonlahor at halftime because Agbonlahor had suffered a calf issue (h/t Ben Dinnery), but surely it had more to do with Agbonlahor's startling ineffectiveness.
Winner: Dele Alli
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Dele Alli was already having a breakout season for Tottenham. The 19-year-old midfielder impressed in a Europa League victory over Qarabag in September, and on Monday, he scored a fine goal that turned out to be the winner.
In the 45th minute, after Villa were unable to clear their lines, the ball fell kindly for Alli along the edge of the box. Showing composure beyond his years, Alli calmly took a perfect touch to set himself up before firing a half-volley into the bottom corner for his first goal at White Hart Lane.
It was an outstanding finish one would normally expect from a savvy veteran. Coming as it did from a 19-year-old, Tottenham should be excited about Alli's future. So too should England manager Roy Hodgson, who watched from the stands.
"To be honest before he came here I didn't know him!" Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen said, per BBC Sport. "I don't know anything about the lower leagues. And I don't mean that in a bad way! He has impressed everyone since he has arrived. He has been unbelievable."
Winner: Harry Kane
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Harry Kane finished off Tottenham's victory with a picturesque, curling strike into the top corner in second-half stoppage time. The goal finished off a sweeping move that covered most of the pitch, and Kane's shot couldn't have been much better.
So why is Kane a winner here? Admittedly, he only scored an insurance goal in stoppage time. But this was the 22-year-old's fourth goal in his last two Premier League games following a barren run at the start of the season. Confidence is perhaps the most valuable currency a striker can have, and over his last two games, Kane has built up some valuable momentum.
Tottenham will need it over the next week, when they play Anderlecht and Arsenal.
"I don't think you can doubt yourself at this level," Kane said, per BBC Sport. "You have to stay confident and wait for your chances, and that's what I've done. I had to wait until stoppage time tonight, but you have to be patient."
Neither a Winner nor a Loser (Yet): Remi Garde
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Monday's defeat was Aston Villa's seventh in a row. That poor run of form has cost Tim Sherwood his job as manager, with Remi Garde installed Monday afternoon as his replacement. Garde watched from the stands Monday night, and he must know that his task will be enormously difficult.
Through 11 games, Villa sit at the bottom of the league with just four points. Since beating Bournemouth on the opening day of the season, Garde's new club has claimed just one point and is now four points from safety.
Perhaps it's too early to be thinking of the relegation race, but Villa's first-half performance won't have given the fans much confidence. The visitors improved after the break, with caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald taking the extraordinary step of introducing some of his best players—notably Carles Gil—as substitutes.
Garde comes with a good resume, having won the French Cup with Lyon in 2012. The Frenchman has the potential to become a hero at Villa Park, but turning Villa around won't be easy.
