Tottenham 1-2 Aston Villa: Watkins the difference as Spurs lose third game in a row

Aston Villa showcased resilience by overturning a deficit to secure a 2-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Notably, this marked their third consecutive triumph in direct clashes with the North London club.

The match began with a tribute to Terry Venables, followed by a flurry of opportunities in the initial five minutes. Dejan Kulusevski hit the post for Villa, and Pau Torres narrowly missed a header from Lucas Digne's free-kick.

Spurs took the lead in the 22nd minute when Giovani Lo Celso's powerful strike, deflected off Diego Carlos, found the net. Despite Ollie Watkins' disallowed goal, Villa's momentum persisted. However, they faced a setback as Rodrigo Bentancur left the field injured after a challenge from Matty Cash.

In the dying moments of the first half, Villa equalized as Torres headed home Douglas Luiz's precise free-kick. The second half brought more drama, with Guglielmo Vicario making an unconvincing save, and Son having another goal ruled out for offside. Ollie Watkins later secured the win for Villa, linking up with Youri Tielemans and finishing cleanly.

Tensions rose as Villa defended their lead, with Martinez making crucial saves against Johnson and Lo Celso.

Despite Son's hat-trick of disallowed goals, Villa clinched their fourth win in five Premier League matches, propelling them to fourth place and leaving Spurs with a third consecutive league defeat, marking their first such streak since February 2022 and dropping them from the UEFA Champions League places.