ASTON VILLA 1 (Rogers 32)
DOMINIC SOLANKE scored twice in four minutes as Tottenham put four goals past Villa for the second time in as many meetings, coming from behind to get their Premier League campaign back on track.
Having thrashed Unai Emery's side 4-0 at Villa Park last March, Spurs did it the hard way this time, after falling behind to a first half goal from Morgan Rogers.
But Brennan Johnson equalised early in the second half, Solanke scored two quick goals to set them on their way, and James Maddison completed another thrashing with a superb free-kick in stoppage time.
The result means Spurs are now only two points behind Arsenal in fourth place, while Villa's push for another top four finish was set back. Yet they had started well by taking the lead against the run of play.
The opening half-hour was cagey, both sides playing within themselves, perhaps conscious that one mistake could cost them dearly, and so it proved when Rogers scored in the 32nd minute.
Villa won a corner on the right, Lucas Digne swung it in and the ball flew off two Tottenham players, Pedro Porro and Rodrigo Bentancuer, forcing Guglielmo Vicario into a scrambled save. The Italian keeper could only parry the ball to the lurking Rogers, who accepted his gift gratefully and volleyed home from close range.
It should have been 2-0 before half-time when Youri Tielemans sent Ollie Watkins clean through on goal, but the England striker dragged his shot horribly wide of the far post. With the next England squad to be announced soon, it was a bad time for Watkins to be outshone by Solanke.
Spurs had enjoyed the majority of possession without troubling Emi Martinez unduly in the first hal, the Argentinian keeper's best work cutting out low crosses.
Rodrigo Bentancur sent a couple of shots over the bar from long range, Solanke put a header high and then had a shot blocked, and Porro volleyed high over the bar.
Amadou Onana almost found the net with a towering header from another Digne corner, but Vicario got down well to save at his near post.
Villa had defended well for the opening 45 minutes, with two banks of four being supplemented by Rogers dropping back from the forward line once he had scored, and there was a question over whether Tottenham needed more creativity in midfield, with James Maddison sitting on the subs bench.
But Postecoglou kept his powder dry, and was rewarded with an equaliser within five minutes of the restart. Heung Min Son, back from injury but looking far from fully match fit, burst down the left and sent in an inviting low cross that Johnson swept in from close range at the far post.
Home supporters erupted in joy and suddenly Spurs looked really up for it. Martinez had to get down low to save a Solanke shot at full-stretch, and Porro mis-hit his volley on to the roof of Villa's net after another lightning quick break.
Pape Matar Sare flashed a low shot wide, Richarlison, replacing Son, curled a high shot wide of the far post, and you could feel Tottenham's pressure building. And so it proved, as Solanke scored twice in the space of four minutes.
Both goals stemmed from Villa losing possession in key areas. First, Ben Davies stepped in with a superb tackle to rob Watkins and send Sarr away. Intricate passing on the edge of the penalty area ended with the ball dropping for Solanke, who dinked a delicate finish over Martinez.
Pau Torres then gave the ball away twice, the second time to Sarr, who played in Richarlison on the left. The Brazilan crossed low and hard, being injured in the process, and Solanke tucked the ball away from close range.
Unai Emery went for broke, sending on forwards Jaden Philogene and Jhjon Duran hoping to find a route back in. Postecolgou sent on Maddison and Archie Gray to see the game out, with ten added minutes mostly as a result of Martinez's extensive time-wasting.
In the sixth minute of stoppage time Maddison curled a free-kick past the Argentinian from 20 yards to complete an excellent afternoon for Tottenham.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Vicario 7; Porro 7, Romero 7 (Davies 61), Dragusin 7, Udogie 7 (Gray 82); Kulusevski 8, Sarr 8, Bentancur 7 (Bissouma 56); Johnson 7, Solanke 9, Son 7 (Richarlison 56 [Maddison 82]).
Aston Villa (4-4-2): Martinez 6; Cash 6 (Carlos 60), Konsa 6, Torres 5, Digne 7; McGinn 6, Onana 6, Tielemans 6 (Kamara 81), Ramsey 6; Rogers 7, Watkins 5.
Referee: Craig Pawson 8.