Premier League - Spurs claim point from Villa

Eurosport - Thu, 26 Nov 19:30:00 2009

Tottenham Hotspur produced an impressive second-half comeback to claim a 1-1 Premier League draw away to Aston Villa.

2009-2010 Premier League Aston Villa-Tottenham Tom Huddlestone John Carew - 0

Captain Michael Dawson volleyed a 77th-minute equaliser to cancel out an early goal by Gabriel Abgbonlahor in a test of both sides' top four credentials.

Spurs deserved at least a point and remain fourth, one place above Martin O'Neill's Villa side, but neither team showed genuine Champions League quality.

Both sides were slick in midfield, but at times they sacrified adventure for accuracy, and ended up passing the ball around their own halves in giant circles. Possession is all well and good, but it helps if you do something with it.

In fairness to Villa, they targeted Tottenham's right-back position where Ashley Young went up against the one-paced Vedran Corluka. The tactic yielded six corners in the first 24 minutes but little tangible result thanks to Young's wayward delivery.

It was a corner from the other side that led to the goal on 10 minutes. Carlos Cuellar glanced a header goalwards that Benoit Assou-Ekotto appeared to stop at the near post with his upper arm, but penalty claims were rendered unnecessary as Agbonlahor bundled the ball in from close range.

Fabio Capello's right-hand man Franco Baldini was in the crowd and, given Agbonlahor's reputation as a somewhat lightweight striker, the scrappy nature of the goal might have done his World Cup hopes more good than a screamer.

It took a magnificent goalline block from Cuellar to keep Villa in front after 20 minutes. Brad Friedel parried a Jermain Defoe shot but was helpless to stop Dawson's follow-up, which was deflected out for a corner by a desperate flick of Cuellar's boot.

Niko Kranjcar was Tottenham's best player in the first half; he struck some half-chances and set up an instinctive Defoe volley that flashed just over.

After the break, he stung Friedel's hands with a fulminating drive that would have arrowed into the top-right corner from distance if not for the American's intervention.

Spurs dominated possession and territory without causing many genuine alarms. Too often they lacked the zip and sharpness required to get their shots away and had numerous goal attempts charged down. However, their pressure eventually told as Villa paid for their lack of ambition.

On 73 minutes they finally put the ball in the net, but did so illegally. Friedel parried a Tom Huddlestone shot and Defoe controlled an attempted Steve Sidwell clearance before scoring. However, referee Phil Dowd correctly noted a handball.

There was a hint of hands about the Tottenham equaliser, but Dowd gave Dawson the benefit of the doubt as he brought a weak Richard Dunne clearance under control and crashed a brilliant volley into the top left corner.

Spurs looked the likelier winners, and Aaron Lennon drove a low cross that beat the dive of Friedel, but Defoe could not direct the half-chance goalwards.

In stoppage time, substitute Emile Heskey glanced a header just over for Villa before Defoe shot just wide from the edge of the box.

If Liverpool win at Everton on Sunday they will move ahead of Villa and go three points behind Spurs - this despite an almost legendary run of bad form. Much work must be done before the Big Four monopoly can be broken.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

Comment 18 - 37 of 37

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  1. I agree that on the day Spurs were the better team­ going forward. Totenham's defending is the the­ problem and has been for some time. If villa had put­ exerted more presence going forward , they would not­ have gained a point and gone home empty handed. On the­ other had villa don't score enough goals but can­ defend very well. I still feel villa will finish above­ Spurs.

    From richard, on Sun 29 Nov 9:16PM

  2. So, this report states that Spurs remain in fourth.­ Well actually if you muppets could be bothered to ­ update your league table you will see that Spurs are­ third, albeit temporarily (depends whether Arsenal can­ get a point against Chelsea today).

    I agree with­ geoff, if you are going to do something then do it­ well. This site is slow and the so called­ "journalism" is shoddy as hell. Get it right­ or give it up and go and report on crown green bowls or­ something that you can keep up with!

    From Shelf-Boy, on Sun 29 Nov 10:23AM

  3. 23 shots at goal compared to 12 from the home team.­ Friedel and the goal line defence saved a point for­ Villa . Gomes didn't even have to make a save 2nd­ half . It would help if the "journalist"­ actually watched the game and knew something about­ football COYS

    From Geoff, on Sun 29 Nov 3:57AM

  4. if villa can only draw at home to spurs, it says a lot­ about the current villa team... how can we draw with a­ team like spurs... come on... much, much work needs to­ be done...

    From Sick of it all, on Sun 29 Nov 1:11AM

  5. alex chick you are a cast iron mug.yr report is full of­ holes.there was only one team at villa park today and­ they are the team that will finish above aston villa.to­ go one nil down to a pony scrappy goal after ten­ minutes and then play mustard one touch foot ball for­ 80 minutes shows who makes the grade.COYS.

    From tommy, on Sat 28 Nov 11:46PM

  6. i think buying a creative midfielder would be a waste­ of money seeing as we have delph who has the potential­ to become a top class midfielder MON needs to be a­ little more ambition when it looks like we are about to­ be overrun to many times since he's been in charge­ we just drop further and further back towards our­ goal.

    I also think downing being fit will finally put­ some pressure on young who has been coasting for far­ too long in this team cos he's had no one­ challenging for his place, he has been blowing hot and­ cold mainly cold this year so far. he needs to up parts­ of his game a hell of a lot.

    From noggin5180, on Sat 28 Nov 10:03PM

  7. yes steve you are right but why can we play so well­ against the top teams and so bad against the worse­ teams swings and roundabouts last week we salvaged a­ draw against burnley this week we were clinging on lol­ no consistency i agree gabby has to start delivering on­ his potential but heskeys only a 10 goal a season­ player at the very most and though i love jon carew jon­ carew we need a top class striker to partner gabby when­ we play 4 4 2

    From pete the greek, on Sat 28 Nov 8:40PM

  8. Pete, to be fair we'll have Downing back by then­ anyway and he will enable Ash to play more of a roving­ role behind Gabby. When he's able to play he should­ give us a lot more options.

    That said, we could do­ with cover for the midfield as currently if one of them­ is crocked (such as downing) we are back to our current­ situation.

    Gabby needs to step up to the plate and­ become a 20 goal a season striker, otherwise we need to­ get one.

    From Steve, on Sat 28 Nov 8:17PM

  9. yet another game where we throw away a lead again MON­ has to buy in january a good creative midfielder is­ what we need to unlock defences why did young and­ milner play as supplementary full backs in the second­ half? more like the away team at home and we are fifth­ but all those teams are bunching up behind us only­ takes a couple of them to put a run together :(

    From pete the greek, on Sat 28 Nov 8:10PM

  10. One team came to win today and it was Spurs, all Villa­ did was thump it long with no other ideas they decided­ to defend at 1-0 which is a pity cause it couldve been­ a better match all round.. Im happy enough with a point­ I guess we def deserved more also thought Keane­ shouldve been on at around 60 mins cause Crouchy had a­ bit of a nightmare today ah well...

    COYS

    From Martin S, on Sat 28 Nov 8:04PM

  11. Spurs dominated possession and chances, Villa played­ liked the away side looking for a smash and grab. Spurs­ could've won it, but villa defended very well ...

    From ispurs, on Sat 28 Nov 7:54PM

  12. hahahaha something that arsenal know all about hey­ Paul..........Taking it from behind...well with arsene­ as a boss u would get used to it

    From Daryl S, on Sat 28 Nov 7:49PM

  13. Lmao is that a sad goner from the top 4 I see

    From Daryl S, on Sat 28 Nov 7:47PM

  14. Not quite the result i predicted, but writing this­ after listening, to match on BBC, which gave 1 view­ point, now listening to local radio, how different can­ they be, national radio say that villa play like away­ side local radio claiming villa should have walked it,­ soz local radio villa were 2nd best for 75% of the­ match, like i said total lack of ambition from villa,­ go 1-0 up then defend, top 10 finish, that why MON will­ never manage a top 4 prem team CAN'T HANDLE THE­ PRESSURE

    From Michael, on Sat 28 Nov 7:47PM

  15. oh dear
    I thought it was Mummy not Mommy

    From Daryl S, on Sat 28 Nov 7:46PM

  16. "Claim a point"? Spurs stuffed them you­ idiot! You're almost as slow as this site!!! Sh%t­ commentary, about 20 mins behind the action. Joke!!!

    From surfwindsnow, on Sat 28 Nov 7:46PM

  17. If the Yids think Villa will roll over and die like­ Wigan, it should be an interesting game. I'm­ looking forward to seeing how the Spurs back four cope­ with some strikers who actually want to play. Lennon­ won't have the freedom of the park against Young­ and Warnock like he did against Wigan. And if they­ think that Dunne and Cuellar will be as soft a touch as­ the atrocious Bramble and Boyce! I haven't seen a­ side as pathetic as Wigan in the second half since I­ watched Villa came back from 1-5 down, to draw 5-5 with­ Spurs back in 1966. And that was in the days of Greaves­ and Gilzean!

    From Mark W, on Sat 28 Nov 4:11PM

  18. 3-1 SPURS! COME ON!

    From paulinehunt74, on Sat 28 Nov 10:20AM

  19. 3-1 SPURS! COME ON!

    From paulinehunt74, on Sat 28 Nov 10:20AM

  20. Yid army will over come the northern scum 3-0 up the­ COYS

    From DAVID R, on Sat 28 Nov 10:17AM
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