Aston Villa had a very happy New Year in North London after a convincing 2-0 away victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Unai Emery took charge of just his second league away match on the first day of 2023 as Villa looked to continue their improved form away from home. Following positive signs at Villa Park on Boxing Day, Emery backed an identical starting eleven against a Conte side that had been battling a faltering defensive record in recent weeks.
Villa came hot out of the blocks from the first whistle, with Emery conducting on the touchline. The team looked compact and comfortable on the ball, but grew increasingly defensive as the half progressed, adopting a deeper set-up that seemed to be designed to frustrate. Watkins generated a decent chance after around 15 minutes, breaking through Spurs’ back line and wriggling into a good area of space, only to scuff the final shot.
Spurs answered back with a good opportunity from Harry Kane. Generated by Perisic, who was shepherded away from goal by a rushing Olsen, the Croatian managed to chip the ball back across goal into the path of a diving Kane, whose headed chance was cleared by Ashley Young. Undoubtedly a crucial moment for Villa as they looked to enter the break with a level scoreline.
The rest of the first half was largely uneventful. Spurs failed to break through a turgid Villa midfield and back line, leaving Olsen with little to do. A good advertisement for an away performance under Unai Emery, the first 45 didn’t dazzle or shine, but quietly got the job done and unsettled an opposition that would have been favourites going into the fixture.
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The second half was a whole different story for Villa. Emery didn’t need to change much from the dressing room at half-time – his men had done what was asked of them, it was just a matter of going up a gear. No personnel changes, but it was clear that the objective for the second 45 was to secure the three points – in style.
Villa looked to stun Spurs with a blistering start to the half. Douglas Luiz took a shot from long-range that landed right in Lloris’ gloves, but the World Cup runner-up spilt the ball in a clumsy mistake that Villa capitalised on. Watkins snatched the ball and laid it off to an on-running Buendia, who tucked it away in the bottom left corner. A sloppy mistake from the Frenchman, but one that left Villa beaming with confidence in the capital.
Spurs whimpered in their attempts of an equaliser through Perisic and Kane, with Olsen left without a shot-on-target to deal with throughout the second half. Instead, Villa grew in confidence and began to boss across the park. Emery’s side looked full of belief and identity, assured in what each of their individual roles were as they won and maintained good spells of possession. It was a display that Villa fans had been longing for, for a long time under previous management.
On the 73rd minute Villa worked a simply brilliant second goal to double their advantage. Kamara won the ball back in Spurs’ half, laying it off to his companion Luiz who forced forward and played the ball onwards to John McGinn. Douglas continued his perfectly timed run, while McGinn remained planted in place and dinked a lovely ball into the box and into the path of his number six. The Brazilian then pulled off an excellent finish past Lloris and celebrated in style, capping off his man of the match performance.
From there, it was game management from Villa. A couple of injuries to scorer Luiz and assister McGinn saw a chunk of time soaked up, with Unai flexing his tactical substitution muscles with an intriguing swap for Matty Cash on the right wing and Chambers in the defensive midfield. These changes were enough to see Villa through to the final whistle and another comfortable three points on the board.
This marks nine out of a possible twelve points for Emery’s Villa since his arrival just prior to the World Cup break. These points came against in-form Manchester United and Brighton, and top-four-contending Tottenham Hotspur. His side looked astute in their individual and collective team performances and set the New Year off to a positive, and quite frankly exciting start. Villa fans will be more than eager to see how such performances can continue, and progress, for the rest of 2023.
AUTHOR | HANNAH GOWEN
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