Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham side recorded a huge three points in the race for Champions League football following a 4-0 win over Aston Villa. Spurs' victory in the Midlands now sees them move to within two points of their top-four rivals and they crucially have a game in hand to come against Chelsea later in the season.
Making three changes from the win over Crystal Palace with Pedro Porro, Pape Matar Sarr and Brennan Johnson all coming into the side, Tottenham started the game brightly but just couldn't create anything in the final third to trouble the hosts. Villa did grow into the contest but it was just before the half-time whistle when their best chance arrived as Lucas Digne headed John McGinn's cross just wide of the target.
Amid the struggles of both to get a shot away on goal in the opening 45 minutes, it was a completely different game following the restart with James Maddison and Johnson scoring for Tottenham within the space of three minutes. That all came after the visitors had seen Micky van de Ven come off the field with an injury and Radu Dragusin brought on in his place.
Having fallen two goals behind, things were to get even worse for Unai Emery's team as McGinn was shown a straight red following a bad challenge on Destiny Udogie right in front of the Spurs bench. Tottenham then used their numerical advantage to score a couple more goals in stoppage time, with Son Heung-min and Timo Werner completing the scoring as the Lilywhites romped to victory.
Here are five things we spotted in the game at Villa Park:
The unlucky duo
Postecoglou was handed a big boost going into the Aston Villa encounter with Porro returning from injury to train at Hotspur Way prior to the trip to the Midlands. Brought straight back into the starting XI after missing the past two games, the inclusion of the right-back meant that a player from last week's matchday squad was always going to miss out on the 20-man party at Villa Park.
The player in question this time was Oliver Skipp. A regular squad member on a matchday this term, the Tottenham academy ace unfortunately made way with Postecoglou having fellow midfielders Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur and Giovani Lo Celso on the bench.
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There was also once again no place for Bryan Gil in the squad after his omission in the win over Crystal Palace last Saturday. Unable to get a consistent run of games ever since his switch from Sevilla in the summer of 2021, it's hard to see where the winger is going to get minutes from between now and the end of the season as he's quite some way down the pecking order and there's still Richarlison and Manor Solomon to return from injury in the not too distant future.
The Premier League's best teams all have a plethora of options to choose from and there are always players who have to watch on from the stands after missing the cut. That is very much the case at Spurs right now with things looking quite good on the injury front compared to a couple of months ago.
Friends reunited
A number of the Tottenham squad were reunited with a familiar face on Sunday. With the club electing against making Clement Lenglet's loan deal from Barcelona permanent in the summer, the French international instead headed to Aston Villa instead.
Following a frustrating first half of the season in the Midlands with very little league football coming his way, the centre-back has now started the last 11 successive league games for his new club. Standing in the tunnel ahead of the game, the TV cameras picked up on Son giving his former teammate a playful kick up the backside before smiling and giving him a hug.
Cristian Romero was also there at the same time as Son and he as well embraced Lenglet and spent a short period of time speaking to him. Others too also made a beeline to share a moment with the French international, including Lo Celso, Porro and Emerson Royal.
Quite clearly a popular figure during his year in north London, it was a really nice moment between all involved that was caught on camera.
Van de Ven blow after masterclass
Things may have panned out differently for Tottenham in their last meeting against Aston Villa had Van de Ven not missed out through injury. A huge figure at the back for Spurs, the Dutchman demonstrated at Villa Park why he is already one of the Premier League's best centre-backs a matter of months into his Tottenham career.
Van de Ven's blistering pace has been a big talking point this season and it was needed inside the opening few minutes of the contest after Ollie Watkins had got the better of Romero. The ex-Wolfsburg man ensured the England international couldn't get a shot away on goal after producing a fine bit of defending to get back and get a crucial foot to the ball.
Demonstrating his strength not long after as he easily got the better of Leon Bailey when the winger was trying to make tracks down Villa's right, he then got a vital touch to Matty Cash's low cross when Watkins was lurking in the box and also headed away Bailey's inswinging corner that looked set to test Guglielmo Vicario. Van de Ven, who was also excellent when in possession and moving forward, was then at it again seconds after the restart with a block to deny Cash after the right-back had cut inside and opted to shoot with his left foot, before doing likewise from a Bailey effort.
However, that proved to be his last involvement in the game with the centre-back going to ground and eventually making way for Dragusin. All will be hoping it is nothing too serious given how pivotal he is to Postecoglou's Tottenham team.
A rather strange game
Those expecting more of the same from the meeting between the sides back in November were left rather disappointed in the opening 45 minutes in the Midlands. Whereas Aston Villa's goal was constantly peppered in the reverse fixture and Villa themselves caused some issues for Spurs, both goalkeepers were left with very little to do this time around to begin with.
The closest either side came to the breakthrough was on the cusp of half-time as Digne got his head to McGinn's cross but it drifted wide of the target and proved to be no trouble for Guglielmo Vicario. Both teams did get into some inviting positions at times in the first half but the final ball and some real quality when it mattered most was lacking, with perhaps the rain-soaked pitch playing a part in the struggles of both.
There was to be no repeat in the second half, however, with the game sparking into life within minutes of the restart after Maddison converted from Sarr's outstanding cross from the right flank. As tidy as the finish was from the England international, it was a superb cross in from the midfield ace as he put the ball on a plate for his teammate.
Three minutes later and Tottenham doubled their lead courtesy of Johnson. Seeing Dejan Kulusevski capitalise on some poor play at the back from Villa and giving the ball to Son, the South Korean put in the Welshman to finish high into the net.
It was to then get even better for the Lilywhites in stoppage time with Son and Werner putting the gloss on an incredible victory for the visitors. Whereas Tottenham dominated the game against Villa back in November but didn't get the points, thankfully this time they secured a crucial win that could have a huge impact on the Champions League places come May.
Goal difference success
What could also have a big impact on the race for fourth come the final day of the season is goal difference. Going into the game at Villa Park with the host's goal difference better by six, not many would have predicted that Spurs' would be ahead of their rivals in that category come the full-time whistle.
Following that incredible 4-0 triumph, Spurs' goal difference is now two ahead of Aston Villa. That could potentially prove key in the remaining weeks of the 2023/24 campaign.
Having a numerical advantage as a result of McGinn's red card, Tottenham had the opportunity to really put their opponents to the sword but they passed up a number of chances in the closing stages when in good areas in the final third. However, Son ensured that they were level on goal difference following his emphatic finish one minute into stoppage time, before Werner then put the Lilywhites ahead of Villa with his team's fourth and final goal of a fascinating afternoon.
The race for fourth is now in Tottenham's hands and it is something they cannot let slip out of their grasp in the run-in.
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