Aston Villa secured a 2-1 win over Tottenham in the FA Cup to advance to the fourth round, with goals from Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers.
Villa were excellent in the first half as we controlled the game and produced two quality moves to prise the hosts open, with Buendia and Rogers applying clinical finishes to put us in a strong position at the break.
While a reaction from Spurs was expected and they certainly improved in the second half, Villa were too casual and passive after the interval, and having seen our advantage halved, we came under pressure as the home side started to show more quality.
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However, we dug in and ultimately got the job done to secure the win and progress to the next round, although there was one major negative on the night as Boubacar Kamara was forced off with an injury in the first half.
Just minutes into the game, the Frenchman suffered a heavy knock just below his knee after a silly challenge from Joao Palhinha, and so it’s hoped that he hasn’t sustained a significant issue which will sideline him, with an anxious wait now ahead to hear more from Unai Emery, given Amadou Onana is already out injured with an issue of his own.
Aston Villa player ratings vs Tottenham:
Marco Bizot, 7 – Made a few decent saves and punched clear to command his box well throughout the game in a positive outing as he deputised for the injured Emiliano Martinez. Reliable presence when called upon again.
Matty Cash, 7 – Defended diligently. pushed forward down the right side to give us width in another steady shift as he continues to show great consistency, and he dealt with the usual hostile reception from the home crowd well.
Ezri Konsa, 7 – Marshalled the backline efficiently and dealt with danger when needed, while he was also important in helping us build sustained pressure through his aggressive defensive work and composure in possession.
Pau Torres, 8 – Great to see the Spaniard return to the line-up after injury, aside from his quality on the ball, he made numerous important clearances and kept things tight at the back alongside Konsa.
Ian Maatsen, 7 – Provided us with energy and a threat in the attacking phase with his overlapping runs, while he defended well to continue to make a strong case to continue to be our first-choice left-back.
Lamare Bogarde, 7 – Mixed performance in that at times he was hesitant and sloppy in possession which almost cost us, but he read the game really well too as he stepped in, won possession back for us high up the pitch to set us off on attack.
Boubacar Kamara, N/A – Concern after his injury in the opening minutes of the game, hopefully it isn’t anything significant.
John McGinn, 7 – Couldn’t hold the ball effectively in the early stages, but certainly improved as the first half went on and became a key cog in our build-up play to help link things together. Important shift from the Villa skipper.
Morgan Rogers, 8 – Great movement and finish for his goal, and although he couldn’t add to that in a decisive way, he was a constant problem for Spurs with his ability to pick up pockets of space in the final third and create openings.
Emiliano Buendia, 8.5 – Brilliant return to form. Produced a clinical finish for his goal to break the deadlock after showing good movement off the ball, and his delightful flick provided the assist for Rogers to double our lead. MOTM.
Donyell Malen, 7.5 – Integral in the build-up play to both of our goals, and although he couldn’t make a more direct impact, he played a vital role in getting the win with his ability to lead the line, draw defenders out of position and create space and openings for his teammates.
Substitutes:
Youri Tielemans, 7 – Dictated tempo well as he controlled possession for us and built many of our most promising attacking movements with his passing up the pitch. Had been hoped that he could get the night off, but was called into action early after Kamara’s injury.
Jadon Sancho, 6 – Showed good intent at times with his direct play, passing and movement off the ball, but still can’t quite get that final ball right to make a more prominent contribution.
Ollie Watkins, 6 – Added renewed energy in the latter stages on and off the ball, and his clever movement did create some openings for us, but we weren’t able to stretch our lead in the second half and make it a more comfortable ending.
Lucas Digne, N/A
Andres Garcia, N/A