Aston Villa reached the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 10 years, inflicting defeat on a Tottenham Hotspur side knocked out of a cup competition for the second time in three days.
Elimination from the Carabao Cup on Thursday after a heavy loss to Liverpool in the semi-final second leg was followed by defeat at Villa Park on Sunday, leaving Tottenham with just the Europa League to aim for this season.
Villa scored after 59 seconds as a goalkeeping error presented the hosts with a perfect start. Fine play by Morgan Rogers in the middle of the pitch set up Jacob Ramsey, whose harmless-looking shot went through the hands of Antonin Kinsky.
The Spurs goalkeeper made a series of fine saves to deny Villa further goals in the first half but could do little to prevent the influential Rogers from scoring his 11th goal of the season with a tap-in. Nineteen-year-old Mathys Tel halved the deficit, but it was too little too late to turn around Spurs’ fortunes.
Our writers Jacob Tanswell and Jay Harris break down the key talking points.
A warm welcome for Rashford
There was tangible excitement around Villa Park for Marcus Rashford’s debut, with the England international receiving the loudest cheers when he headed down the tunnel before kick-off and then once he ran out onto the touchline for his warm-up as a substitute.
The 27-year-old was sharp in his movement, winning his first duel against Kevin Danso seconds after coming on. As Unai Emery wants from his forwards, Rashford dragged Danso into deep areas — including a smart first-time pass that set Rogers free for a Ramsey chance — before threatening in behind with his pace.
On paper, Rashford played up front but Emery wanted him in positions he previously thrived in at Manchester United, with the plan of playing as an inside forward appearing to be formed on Sunday evening.
It was a promising debut, along with Marco Asensio, Donyell Malen and Andres Garcia, who immediately settled in Emery’s system.
Jacob Tanswell
A defeat that sums up Tottenham’s season
This result leaves Ange Postecoglou in a perilous position. This always felt like a season-defining week for Spurs and they have failed their tests in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
The performances are the biggest concern. Tottenham did not register a single shot on target in Thursday’s 4-0 defeat to Liverpool and never looked convincing going forward against Aston Villa, although they did test Emiliano Martinez on a couple of occasions. Son Heung-min wasted a great chance in the first half.
From a team that was cavalier in its attitude, playing forward passes quickly and aggressively, Spurs now looked scared to take risks. There were too many occasions when Malen and Rogers pressured Danso and Archie Gray into playing backwards.
Spurs seem to be kicking the ball longer than ever before, a tactic that did not work when Richarlison, a natural centre-forward, was trying to reach Kinsky’s passes against Liverpool and it was even less successful with Son failing to get anywhere near Villa’s makeshift centre-backs.
Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham’s best player before Christmas, has run out of gas. Danso has been parachuted in from Lens to perform a rescue act. Lucas Bergvall is running around clattering into challenges and trying to create chances on the ball with little reward. They are a team devoid of confidence and momentum.
Pedro Porro jumped back up and kicked Rashford after Villa’s forward nutmegged him, while Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur were booked for rash challenges. That all hints at a loss of discipline as frustrations grow.
Spurs’ wretched position in the Premier League means their hopes for a successful season rest on winning the Europa League, but it remains to be seen if Postecoglou will be in charge for their round-of-16 tie next month.
Jay Harris
Centre-back problems for Villa
Villa’s central defence has been an issue for Emery over the winter and even with the deadline-day arrival of Axel Disasi on loan from Chelsea, Villa have remained short in the position. Pau Torres is still a few weeks away from returning from a broken metatarsal, Tyrone Mings’ knee injury requires patience and Diego Carlos left for Fenerbahce in January.
With Disasi cup-tied, Boubacar Kamara, Villa’s best midfielder, partnered Ezri Konsa in the back line against Tottenham.
In the 27th minute, it became even clearer how much of a problem this position is for Villa, with Konsa pulling up after racing back towards his goal after Son had forced an excellent save from Martinez. Konsa headed straight down the tunnel, which is never a good sign, and seemed concerned.
Lamare Bogarde, preferably a central midfielder or a right-back, replaced the England international. Bogarde’s versatility has become important in recent months and with Emery having no available recognised centre-back, he deputised against Tottenham.
Bogarde, 21, was composed on the ball, despite Tottenham’s press, and was aggressive in his marking of Son. Even on the odd occasion he overcommitted, he recovered well, as illustrated by the sliding block he made at the start of the second half to stop Son’s shot.
Jacob Tanswell
How did Tel perform on his debut?
Injuries to Richarlison and Dominic Solanke mean that Tel has been fast-tracked into Tottenham’s starting XI after he joined them at the end of the transfer window on loan from Bayern Munich with an option to buy.
Tel made a cameo against Liverpool on Thursday, but it is hard to fairly assess that performance considering his direct opponents were Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, a formidable and established centre-back duo.
Everybody assumed Tel would play centrally against Villa but Son occupied that role, leaving the left-wing slot free for the 19-year-old.
Tel showed a few glimpses of his talent. There were body feints, ball rolls and other tricks he deployed with mixed results. There was an encouraging one-two with Son but then his weak, deflected cross did not cause any problems.
You have to admire Tel’s self-belief. He constantly demanded the ball from Djed Spence or Gray despite the testing circumstances. The France Under-21 international has a great reputation but he needs time to fully adapt to English football and a completely new environment.
There were multiple occasions when he tried to spin past Leon Bailey out wide but was shrugged off the ball. In the build-up to Rogers’ goal, Tel mishit a pass that went straight to Villa’s centre-back Bogarde and allowed them to quickly counter. Another stray pass led to a goalscoring opportunity for Ramsey.
Tel moved centrally towards the end of the game and was rewarded with a goal. A sharp piece of movement helped him ghost past Villa’s defenders at the back post before he poked Kulusevski’s cross into the bottom corner. Spurs left their comeback too late, though.
Tel emerges with some credit, but it feels unfair to expect him to be the saviour of a team in dire need of help.
Jay Harris
What did Unai Emery say?
Asked about new signings after the game, Emery said: “First, Lamare Bogarde played again and showed consistency when we needed him. He helped us. Andres Garcia and Malen played in our idea and with Rashford and Asensio, we saw their skill and how they will help us.
On Konsa, the Villa manager added that “hopefully, it is not a big injury”.
Emery was keen to praise Ramsey and Rogers, too, saying: “Ramsey is getting better. He will need to be consistent, playing without injuries and getting physically better. He is a very good player and very committed to Aston Villa. I am very demanding with him.
“With Morgan, he is performing fantastically, always doing his tasks. He is making our identity stronger with his skill and versatility in the attacking third. So (I tell him), ‘Keep going, don’t stop’.”
What did Ange Postecoglou say?
We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.
What next for Aston Villa?
Saturday, February 15: Ipswich Town (Home), Premier League, 3pm GMT, 10am ET
What next for Tottenham?
Sunday, February 16: Manchester United (Home), Premier League, 4.30pm GMT, 11.30am ET
Recommended reading
Aston Villa’s transfer window: Emery’s Rashford wish, Disasi beats deadline, Duran’s exit
Tottenham’s transfer window reviewed: A whirlwind ending solves a few problems
Analysis: Mathys Tel is a shots machine with plenty of raw edges to iron out
Unai Emery is an expert at rejuvenating footballers’ careers – can he do it with Marcus Rashford?
(Top Photo: Clive Mason/Getty Images)