Aston Villa secured a crucial 2-1 win over Tottenham on Saturday in a major boost for our hopes of qualifying for Europe.
Goals from Jacob Ramsey and Douglas Luiz put us in a comfortable position and on course for three big points, and although we had to come through a nervy ending after a contentious Harry Kane penalty, Villa held on and picked up a vital victory.
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That now lifts us up into seventh place in the Premier League table for the time being, level on points with Tottenham, with two more games to play, albeit Brighton still have games in hand on us.
However, all Villa can do is focus on ourselves and keep picking up as many wins as possible to end the season, and although Spurs were poor, we certainly made them look worse in a brilliant shift from the team to get the job done.
Aston Villa player ratings vs Tottenham:
Emiliano Martinez, 8 – His ability to deliver in big moments is what makes him so important and special. Didn’t have a huge amount to do, but produced a decisive save in the second half to deny Kane as Spurs got some momentum. Conceded a late penalty which was a debatable decision, but coupled with his distribution, a vital contribution.
Ashley Young, 8 – A solid shift on that side as he got his positioning spot on and made some key interventions. Showed great resolve to keep going and stay switched on as part of an excellent display from the backline as a unit.
Ezri Konsa, 8 – Spurs were caught offside nine times, and the discipline and concentration shown by our defence was pivotal. Konsa was alert throughout, gave very little away and kept things tight at the back to frustrate the visitors while also looking calm and comfortable on the ball.
Tyrone Mings, 8 – Similar to Konsa in that they marshalled things well at the back and kept Tottenham’s attacking threats quiet through the middle with commanding performances. Sharp in his passing too to get us moving up the pitch, a top effort.
Alex Moreno, 7 – Important defensive shift, and although he was caught out on occasion, he was in sync with the backline to play that high line successfully. Played some excellent crosses into the box that were dangerous, but couldn’t find that killer ball to be decisive in the final third.
Leon Bailey, 7 – Did really well to set up Ramsey for our opening goal, and he continued to work hard for the team thereafter while taking his man on in 1v1 situations when possible. An improvement given his struggles before and after his injury setback.
Douglas Luiz, 8 – The error that almost cost us in the second half aside, he was excellent throughout. Helped us dictate and dominate in midfield with his composure and technical ability, and scored a decisive second goal at a critical moment for us as we came under pressure. A brilliant strike from his free-kick, and an influential role throughout.
John McGinn, 8.5 – The Villa captain was quite literally everywhere in this one. His work-rate was second to none and the tenacity and grit he showed to really stamp his mark on the game was fundamental to our chances of winning. Put in a real shift defensively and got forward when possible too in an all-action display.
Jacob Ramsey, 7.5 – Instrumental in the build-up to our opening goal and produced a really good finish to break the deadlock for his fifth goal of the season. Worked tirelessly off the ball as part of our defensive effort to press and force Spurs into mistakes, and showed good energy and burst to create dangerous openings too.
Emiliano Buendia, 7 – It’s frustrating to see him not able to find that end product, as he puts in a really important shift for the team and shows real quality at times. Whether it was his effort that struck the crossbar or his perfectly weighted passes through that just seem to not end with a goalscoring chance, he’s making an important contribution still and is really clever at finding pockets of space to create.
Ollie Watkins, 7 – Although he couldn’t find the back of the net himself again, he was crucial in this win. From his contribution in the build-up to our first goal to winning the free-kick for our second, he was more of a creator in this one and managed to have a decisive impact on the encounter.
Substitutes:
Boubacar Kamara, 7 – Did well after coming on to shore things up in midfield for us and keep things ticking over in the latter stages.
Jhon Duran, 6 – Showed good work-rate and desire to add energy up front and give us an option as we tried to see out the game.
Matty Cash, N/A – Good to see him return from injury albeit briefly, important defensive shift late on.