Aston Villa took care of business against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League. Unai Emery’s side recorded their fifth consecutive victory, underlining their strong run of form. That serves as a warning for Go Ahead Eagles, who will face Aston Villa on Thursday.
Aston Villa stretched their winning streak to five matches with a gritty 1 to 2 victory away to Tottenham Hotspur, a result that underscores both their resilience and their growing tactical clarity under Unai Emery.
The visitors had to withstand an early punch and a lively home crowd, but they grew into the contest, trusted their structure, and produced two high quality moments after the interval to flip the scoreline.
Emery set up with Donyell Malen leading the line, asking the forward to stretch the pitch vertically and threaten the space behind Tottenham’s back line. Ian Maatsen, Lamare Bogarde, and Marco Bizot began on the bench, giving Villa late game options across the pitch. For Spurs, Xavi Simons and Micky van de Ven were named in the starting eleven, adding ball carrying and recovery pace to a side that looked prepared to press high and attack in waves.
The match began at a frantic tempo. Inside five minutes the home side seized the initiative when Rodrigo Bentancur finished from close range after João Palhinha shaped a clever cut back. Spurs had their tails up, and the opening quarter hour featured quick switches of play and aggressive positioning from the full backs. Villa bent but did not break. Their first line of resistance stayed compact, with the wide midfielders tucking in to narrow the center and the double pivot holding their ground to protect the edge of the area.
After halftime Villa’s approach sharpened. The visitors circulated the ball more cleanly, found better angles into the half spaces, and began to isolate Tottenham’s defenders in uncomfortable zones. The equalizer arrived through a moment of pure quality from Morgan Rogers, who stepped onto a rolling ball outside the box and whipped a precise strike into the far corner. The technique was immaculate, but the build up mattered too. Villa worked the ball from one side to the other to widen the defensive block, then recycled to the top of the area where Rogers could shoot without an immediate challenge.
The winner came with just under a quarter of an hour to go and captured the balance of structure and improvisation that defines this Villa side. Lucas Digne controlled a high ball with an athletic first touch, buying himself half a second to assess the scene. His next action threaded Spurs back and pulled a defender off balance, creating a pocket for substitute Emiliano Buendia to attack. Buendia, fresh and alert, lashed the finish past the keeper to make it 1 to 2 and silence the stadium. From there, Villa managed the closing stages intelligently. They controlled restarts, chose their pressing moments carefully, and forced Tottenham into hopeful crosses rather than clean entries through the center.
Beyond the goals, there were key tactical beats. Malen’s runs continually asked questions, even without a goal to show for it, because they stretched the back line and opened lanes for late arrivals. The midfield balanced risk and safety, with one player stepping to screen the ball carrier while the partner hovered to collect second balls. Out wide, Villa’s full backs were selective with overlaps, timing their advances to coincide with secure possession rather than chasing every transition. That restraint limited Spurs counters and kept the visitors set for defensive transitions.
The performance also highlighted the value of Villa’s bench. Buendia’s impact was obvious on the scoresheet, but the broader effect of fresh legs was just as important. Emery could tilt the shape slightly, stationing an extra technician between the lines to help Villa retain the ball under pressure and foul smartly when needed. That subtle shift helped the visitors steer the match toward their preferred rhythm in the final minutes.
For Tottenham, the defeat stings. They started well and created the platform for a positive result, yet they struggled to maintain control after the interval. As Villa tightened their spacing and cut off central combinations, Spurs looked increasingly reliant on individual bursts rather than collective patterns. The early goal should have given them a cushion, but they could not find the second. In the table, the loss proves costly, with Thomas Frank’s side missing the chance to move into second and now sitting sixth, five points behind leaders Arsenal. There is still ample time to correct course, but the margin for error narrows when rivals are collecting points at pace.
For Villa, the momentum carries into Europe and a potentially tricky trip. This Thursday brings a Europa League visit to the Netherlands, where Go Ahead Eagles await. The encounter arrives with a clear narrative. Villa have already banked a 0 to 2 win at Feyenoord in De Kuip earlier in the competition, a result that broadcast their ability to handle charged atmospheres and disciplined defenses. Go Ahead, meanwhile, have three points from two matches after upsetting Panathinaikos before the international break, though a domestic loss to PSV on Saturday tempered that high. Expect the hosts to be organized, aggressive without the ball, and eager to spring forward on turnovers. Villa will need to manage the first twenty minutes, absorb the initial surge, and then let their superior structure and depth tell.
The immediate task for Emery is load management. Five straight wins create confidence, but also come with physical cost. Rotations will be essential on Thursday, especially in the wider areas and the midfield where Villa cover so much ground. The coaching staff will weigh the value of continuity against the need to keep key players fresh for the weekend. The good news is that the squad looks unified and tactically flexible. Whether Villa need an extra passer to unlock a compact block or a runner to attack the space behind, they have options to tailor the plan.
Match card
Go Ahead Eagles vs Aston Villa
18:45 on 23 October 2025
If Villa reproduce the control they showed in North London, they will enter the Europa League tie as clear favorites. The five match winning run was not built on luck. It has been constructed on compact distances between lines, quick vertical punches at the right time, and meaningful contributions from the bench. That recipe travels well.
