Sunday December 26, 2010 Day 19 Finished Villa Park

Aston Villa 1 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur

  • Albrighton 82’
  • van der Vaart 23’, 67’

No comments yet | Write your comment

  1. Ten-man Spurs stay fifth after win

    Ten-man Spurs stay fifth after win

    Rafael van der Vaart scored a brace as Tottenham Hotspur battled to a 2-1 win at Aston Villa despite being down to 10 men for over an hour. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Aston Villa
    • Tottenham Hotspur
    • - Don't forget you can watch highlights of this match, along with every Premier League game, from 00:01 on Monday morning (UK only).
    • 90+5 Villa just lumping it in now and Spurs clear, Jenas winning a free-kick on the right wing. Hutton takes his time, indeed passing it to Dawson and it's all over! Spurs hold on to fifth place, one point off Chelsea.
    • 90+4 Gomes flies out to punch weakly clear as Collins attacks a high ball! Like a clown! Back to the wall for Spurs!
    • 90+4 Modric hobbles off to eat up some more time, Vedran 'Charlie' Corluka coming on in his place.
    • 90+3 Gomes booked for time-wasting.
    • 90+3 LICHAJ INTO THE SIDE NETTING! Super ball in from Albrighton on the move and Lichaj holds off Kaboul but, from a tight angle, cannot squeeze it in.
    • 90+2 Modric is down with cramp after colliding with Lichaj, Friedel furious that his team-mates are helping a man clearly faking it.
    • 90+2 Panic in the Spurs box as Petrov hits a low ball at Gomes, but he holds on with Agbonlahor flying in.
    • 90+4 Four minutes added time being played.
    • 90' Pires is kicking off with Harry Redknapp on the Spurs bench, no love lost for the ex-Gooner.
    • 89' SPURS SUB: Jenas comes on for Lennon. Petrov is bandaged up now.
    • 89' The all-action Gareth Bale fancies this, from over 30 yards, and he curls it inches wide with Friedel beaten! He's not bad.
    • 88' Crouch slips the ball wide to Lennon, who cuts inside and is brought down by Agbonlahor who will be booked.
    • 87' Palacios catches Pires a bit late and tries to apologise but the Frenchman isn't having it. Petrov, meanwhile, has to go off after cutting his eyebrow in a clash with Crouch.
    • 86' Gary Mac is bellowing orders from the bench with Houllier looking a touch more reserved.
    • 85' Petrov shoots wastefully over, row Z for that one.
    • 84' Villa have a corner on the left which Gomes again flaps at, palming it away to the edge of the box, but this time he isn't punished.
    • 83' Villa back in this! A freak goal from Albrighton to capitalise on Gomes's weakness - dealing with crosses.
    • 82' Albrighton on the left now, he curls in a brilliant cross that Collins dives in to attack but it flies straight in! Gomes caught in no-man's land, poor keeping as he first came then panicked and backtracked.
    • 81' Agbonlahor with a good high cross, it drops to Pires but Spurs clear with no-one able to get a shot away.
    • 79' Hutton with a naughty one on Albrighton, both feet used for that so he is booked.
    • 78' I was right the first time, Gomes is fine. The home fans boo but he doesn't care. Go on ref, book him!
    • 77' Gomes pretends he has hurt his arm after making a mess of that corner, eating up the seconds. I say 'pretends' as he has form for such nonsense, although he could well have hurt his wrist landing.
    • 76' LICHAJ JUST WIDE! The corner is flapped at again by Gomes but the American's drilled shot from the edge of the box bounces the wrong side of the post!
    • 75' Agbonlahor turns on to Pires's pass and drills a low shot from the edge of the D that Gomes tips around the post. Corner.
    • 74' Albrighton's corner is flapped at by Gomes but Spurs half-clear. Van der Vaart gives away a free-kick left-centre, 30 yards out. Villa finally bring Pires on, Delph making way.
    • 72' Warnock with a savage drive from the wing that Gomes bats out! Corner on the left...
    • 71' Albrighton turns inside and out and on to his right and it's a well-drilled cross that Agbonlahor heads towards goal but straight at Gomes.
    • 70' Villa cranking it up again but they're like a tiger without teeth, all huff and puff.
    • 68' Villa have been well and truly stung but they've offered little, to be honest. Spurs are comfortable.
    • 67' Delfouneso glides past Modric, now Albrighton on the right with a super cross but cleared. Van der Vaart to Bale who is on the right, he races away, this is dangerous, beats one man, then a second, and a third and he feeds Lennon who lays it off for Van der Vaart and it's two, slid low into the bottom right. Brilliant, brilliant goal.
    • 66' Villa dominating possession now but Spurs don't seem to mind.
    • 65' A touch harsh to card Lichaj when Van der Vaart just runs into him, buying the free-kick. No card in the end, just a word.
    • 64' Bobby Pires is jogging down the touchline as a last throw of the dice.
    • 63' Delfouneso with a superb turn on Dawson and from an acute angle he rifles in a vicious drive that Gomes palms behind!
    • 62' Villa with a patient build-up in midfield, Delfouneso now wide to Warnock, good cross indeed but Kaboul and Assou-Ekotto combine to get it clear.
    • 61' Agbonlahor chests the ball to Delfouneso who instead of shooting tries to play it back too his strike partner. Poor decision.
    • 60' Albrighton races down the right but, sliding and rising in one movement, cannot quite keep Delph's ball in play.
    • 59' Corner to villa on the right but Bale is back defending to head clear.
    • 58' Great cross from Downing on the left but Cuellar's header from 15 yards bounces wide of the near post! A couple of yards off target in the end.
    • 57' Spurs take it short, Lennon on the right now and he finds Van der Vaart but his ambitious shot spins well wide.
    • 56' Delph is booked for a late slide on Van der Vaart after the Dutchman tricked him on the Spurs right.
    • 55' Petrov plays it long looking for Downing but Hutton nods the ball back to Gomes.
    • 54' Downing crosses from the left now but Spurs clear. Almost all Villa so far this half...
    • 53' Albrighton on the right puts in a hanging cross AND DELFOUNESO WITH THE OVERHEAD but it spins away to the left and over Collins flying in!
    • 52' Villa are piling the pressure on but they lack a creative spark, Ashley Young would be most welcome right now.
    • 51' Collins with a powerful header clear as Spurs make a rare burst forward. Throw on the left.
    • 50' Delfouneso gets hold of the ball after a neat Albrighton pass and he drills in a low shot that Gomes spills but the keeper dives on to the loose ball first.
    • 48' Van der Vaart is convinced he was fouled but nothing given.
    • 47' Van der Vaart goes down injured after Villa begin the half with some pressure down the left. He's okay though.
    • 46' The second half is underway.
    • - VILLA SUB: The experience of returning midfielder Petrov, who has been injured, could prove invaluable. He is on for Hogg.
    • 45+2 Half-time, Spurs lead thanks to Rafael van der Vaart's seventh league goal this season - but Spurs are a man down after Defoe got himself sent off.
    • 45' Two minutes of added time being played.
    • 44' Bale powers down the flank again but his touch lets him down at the last, unable to cut it back from the byline.
    • 43' Dawson with a good tackle on Delfouneso, who was racing on to Hogg's ball down the left. Warnock then crosses well but Dawson again is equal to it, nodding the ball clear.
    • 42' Collins can't reach Lennon's ball, Cuellar does but it almost drops to Van der Vaart, eventually Cuellar hoofs the ball away.
    • 41' Delfouneso gets an early touch but skews a poor shot high and wide.
    • 40' VILLA SUB: That hold-up play from Heskey is his last act of the game as he trudges off with some kind of muscle injury I think. Delfouneso on in his place.
    • 39' DOWNING JUST WIDE! More possession play fromVilla as Heskey holds it up for Downing who smashes a drive just wide!
    • 38' Heskey holds it up for Downing, his low cross hits Hutton and Dawson smacks it out for a throw. Villa hemming Spurs in now.
    • 37' Warnock finds Downing who stands up a great ball but Albrighton can't reach it, the space in front of him protected by Assou-Ekottto.
    • 36' PALACIOS HIS THE SIDE NETTING! Super break from Spurs, Palacios surging forward and playing a one-two with Van der Vaart before smaking a vicious shot just wide.
    • 35' Yellow card for Hogg after a late tackle on Dawson. Not as bad as the first one but worthy of a yellow under the cumulative effect.
    • 34' Van der Vaart is joined by Kaboul, who fancies this... Short from VdV to Kaboul and he shoots low, deflected and Friedel has to readjust but saves!
    • 33' Assou-Ekotto wins a free-kick after Cuellar makes a mess of a simple clearance.
    • 32' Bale takes his eye off the ball as he is played in down the left.
    • 31' Friedel gets hold of the ball with Heskey's flick on beyond Agbonlahor.
    • 30' Decent pressure from Villa but they're unable to get the final ball in.
    • 29' Decent cross from Downing and in flies Heskey but he heads well wide. Gomes gets a snowballing as he prepares to take the goal kick.
    • 28' Hmmm, a raised arm from Defoe, couldn't see it from the initial angle but it was reckless and he hit Collins in the face. Not that type of player but you can't raise your arms like that when attacking the ball.
    • 27' Defoe is sent off! He rises to meet a high ball with Collins and the Villa defender hits the deck. That looked harsh...
    • 26' Van der Vaart forces Lichaj into a woeful backpass but Defoe can't make him pay with Collins racing back in time.
    • 25' Free-kick to Spurs on the right that VdV takes but Collins has to head over his own goal. Corner....
    • 24' Lovely goal on the break, Modric freeing Hutton down the right and the Scot playing a wicked low ball across the face of goal that the stretching Collins and Warnock couldn't reach: Van der Vaart just slid a low finish into the bottom right.
    • 23' GOAL SPURS! Guess who it is? Yup, it's Rafael van der Vaart!
    • 22' Lennon zips down the right and cuts it back for Van der Vaart but he spoons the shot well over! He claims it took a deflection but he just got it wrong, under the bouncing balll.
    • 21' Albrighton gets a half-chance in the box but is squeezed off the ball by Dawson and Kaboul and the shot is weak and easy for Gomes.
    • 20' Bale takes on Lichaj but Cuellar gets across to support him and plays it out for a throw.
    • 19' An unorthodox punch from Gomes plays the corner back to Albrighton. Villa still keeping the pressure on as Downing puts in a cross from the left, but Kaboul heads away from Heskey!
    • 18' Double save from Gomes! Neither very hard but they had to be made, the first after Agbonlahor races on to a flick on from Heskey and fires at the keeper, the second from the rebound that the Villa striker tries to squeeze in at the near post. Corner!
    • 17' Yeah, that was out of play as - while it was close and the ball in flight - Hutton clearly plays it backwards yet it bounces on the line before reaching Kaboul. The ball is back with Spurs now, playing it about in defence.
    • 16' GOAL KABOUL! But no, disallowed! Van der Vaart swings it far post and the linesman correctly decides that Hutton cut it back to the France defender after the ball was out of play. Nice routine though, and a crisp finish.
    • 15' Lichaj gives away a free-kick after taking Bale out on the Spurs left. VdV is going to swing this in with his left....
    • 14' Downing on the left wing cuts inside and tests Gomes with a daisy cutter that he gobbles up like a Christmas goose.
    • 13' Assou-Ekotto does well to shut down Albrighton, blocking his cross. The young winger gets a second bite at the cherry but that ball is poor and Spurs clear.
    • 12' Good spell of pressure for Spurs now as they hem Villa into their own half.
    • 11' VdV slips Defoe through, he's in but Warnock goes really well to get back across to block the finish for a corner.
    • 10' Gomes was trying to prevent the corner, he must have been as Heskey was going nowhere, back to goal from an impossible angle. Seems Heskey got there first too. Spurs counter but the flag is up.
    • 9' Dawson somehow manages to beat Agbonlahor to a ball down the Villa left, throw to the hosts. A long ball from Cuellar causes problems, Albrighton crosses near post and Gomes rashly dives in at Heskey's feet to try to nick the deflected cross and Heskey goes down but no penalty!
    • 8' Vam der Vaart puts in a sweet curling free-kick that Bale meets ahead of Lichaj but he sends the header well over.
    • 7' Hogg late on Van der Vaart and surely it's going to be a booking... No! This ref is letting it all go, that was reckless, two-footed and late.
    • 6' Long from Friedel upfield but Spurs get hold of it again as Bale moves forward.
    • 5' GREAT SAVE FRIEDEL! Defoe sent racing clean through after Modric and Van der Vaart combine but the veteran American rushes out to block at his feet!
    • 4' Palacios hobbles off and, remarkably, Albrighton escapes without a card of any colour.
    • 3' Palacios is in pain after a heavy challenge from Albrighton. That was a touch reckless, right on to his ankle.
    • 2' Delph with a free header but the little man nods it weak and well wide.
    • 1' SUPER SAVE GOMES! A long ball into the Spurs box is nodded down brilliantly by Collins, Dawson can only half-clear and Albrighton scuffs a low finish that Gomes parries! Albrighton races on to the rebound but Bale blocks! Corner.
    • 1' The first half is underway at Villa Park!
    • 17:25 The referee this evening is Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
    • 17:20 SPURS TEAM NEWS: Robbie Keane does not even make the bench as Harry Redknapp prepares to sell him, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko the striking reserves as Jermain Defoe gets a start. Rafael van der Vaart returns from injury. Quite good, he is. Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate and William Gallas are all injured, but Younes Kaboul returns after a spell out while Jermaine Jenas is fit enough for the bench.
    • 17:15 VILLA TEAM NEWS: Dunne doesn't even get a place on he bench as his fall-out with Gerard Houllier continues, with John Carew - who has also fallen out with Hou - injured. Young American Eric Lichaj gets a start ahead of Dunne, with Emile Heskey partnering Agbonlahor. This is a very young side, Fabian Delph, Marc Albrighton and Jon Hogg in a midfield deemed good enough that Stiliyan Petrov and Nigel Reo-Coker can be benched.
    • 17:10 TEAMS - Aston Villa: Friedel, Warnock, Collins, Cuellar, Lichaj, Downing, Delph, Hogg, Albrighton, Heskey, Agbonlahor; Subs: Guzan, Pires, Delfouneso, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Clark, Bannan /// Tottenham: Gomes, Hutton, Kaboul, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Modric, Bale, Van der Vaart, Defoe; Subs: Cudicini, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Crouch, Bassong, Kranjcar, Corluka
    • 17:05 FACT: Spurs are unbeaten on 26th December since 2003 while Villa have picked up maximum points in just one of their nine Boxing Day games since 1999.
    • 17:00 FACT: Only Robbie Fowler (nine) has scored more Premier League goals on Boxing Day than Robbie Keane (eight). Keane is not going to start today though, he's on his way out of Spurs.
    • 16:55 Spurs, meanwhile, will slide to sixth if they don't win after Bolton beat West Brom. Sunderland's defeat to Manchester United keeps them at bay.
    • 16:50 Villla are in a bit of a state at the moment: they lie 15th although cannot slide further because Birmingham's game with Everton was called off. A win would take them into the top half, remarkably.
    • 16:45 Welcome to our LIVE coverage of Aston Villa's Boxing Day Premier League clash at home to Tottenham Hotspur, kick-off at 5.30pm.

  • Summary

    • 90+3 LICHAJ INTO THE SIDE NETTING! Super ball in from Albrighton on the move and Lichaj holds off Kaboul but, from a tight angle, cannot squeeze it in.
    • 89' The all-action Gareth Bale fancies this, from over 30 yards, and he curls it inches wide with Friedel beaten! He's not bad.
    • 82' Albrighton on the left now, he curls in a brilliant cross that Collins dives in to attack but it flies straight in! Gomes caught in no-man's land, poor keeping as he first came then panicked and backtracked.
    • 76' LICHAJ JUST WIDE! The corner is flapped at again by Gomes but the American's drilled shot from the edge of the box bounces the wrong side of the post!
    • 75' Agbonlahor turns on to Pires's pass and drills a low shot from the edge of the D that Gomes tips around the post. Corner.
    • 72' Warnock with a savage drive from the wing that Gomes bats out! Corner on the left...
    • 71' Albrighton turns inside and out and on to his right and it's a well-drilled cross that Agbonlahor heads towards goal but straight at Gomes.
    • 67' Delfouneso glides past Modric, now Albrighton on the right with a super cross but cleared. Van der Vaart to Bale who is on the right, he races away, this is dangerous, beats one man, then a second, and a third and he feeds Lennon who lays it off for Van der Vaart and it's two, slid low into the bottom right. Brilliant, brilliant goal.
    • 63' Delfouneso with a superb turn on Dawson and from an acute angle he rifles in a vicious drive that Gomes palms behind!
    • 53' Albrighton on the right puts in a hanging cross AND DELFOUNESO WITH THE OVERHEAD but it spins away to the left and over Collins flying in!
    • 39' DOWNING JUST WIDE! More possession play fromVilla as Heskey holds it up for Downing who smashes a drive just wide!
    • 36' PALACIOS HIS THE SIDE NETTING! Super break from Spurs, Palacios surging forward and playing a one-two with Van der Vaart before smaking a vicious shot just wide.
    • 27' Defoe is sent off! He rises to meet a high ball with Collins and the Villa defender hits the deck. That looked harsh...
    • 23' GOAL SPURS! Guess who it is? Yup, it's Rafael van der Vaart!
    • 18' Double save from Gomes! Neither very hard but they had to be made, the first after Agbonlahor races on to a flick on from Heskey and fires at the keeper, the second from the rebound that the Villa striker tries to squeeze in at the near post. Corner!
    • 16' GOAL KABOUL! But no, disallowed! Van der Vaart swings it far post and the linesman correctly decides that Hutton cut it back to the France defender after the ball was out of play. Nice routine though, and a crisp finish.
    • 9' Dawson somehow manages to beat Agbonlahor to a ball down the Villa left, throw to the hosts. A long ball from Cuellar causes problems, Albrighton crosses near post and Gomes rashly dives in at Heskey's feet to try to nick the deflected cross and Heskey goes down but no penalty!
    • 5' GREAT SAVE FRIEDEL! Defoe sent racing clean through after Modric and Van der Vaart combine but the veteran American rushes out to block at his feet!
    • 1' SUPER SAVE GOMES! A long ball into the Spurs box is nodded down brilliantly by Collins, Dawson can only half-clear and Albrighton scuffs a low finish that Gomes parries! Albrighton races on to the rebound but Bale blocks! Corner.
    • 17:10 TEAMS - Aston Villa: Friedel, Warnock, Collins, Cuellar, Lichaj, Downing, Delph, Hogg, Albrighton, Heskey, Agbonlahor; Subs: Guzan, Pires, Delfouneso, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Clark, Bannan /// Tottenham: Gomes, Hutton, Kaboul, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Modric, Bale, Van der Vaart, Defoe; Subs: Cudicini, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Crouch, Bassong, Kranjcar, Corluka

Team Line-up & Ratings

  • Line-up

    Live Team Line-Up

    • Starting line-up

      • B. Friedel
      • E. Lichaj
      • C. Cuéllar
      • J. Collins
      • S. Warnock
      • J. Hogg Yellow Card Substitution Out (45′)
      • F. Delph Yellow Card Substitution Out (74′)
      • M. Albrighton Goal
      • S. Downing
      • G. Agbonlahor Yellow Card
      • E. Heskey Substitution Out (39′)

      Subs

      • R. Pires Substitution In74′
      • S. Petrov Substitution In45′
      • N. Reo-Coker
      • N. Delfouneso Substitution In39′
      • B. Guzan
      • B. Bannan
      • C. Clark

    • Starting line-up

      • Gomes Yellow Card
      • A. Hutton Yellow Card
      • M. Dawson
      • Y. Kaboul
      • B. Assou-Ekotto
      • W. Palacios
      • L. Modric Yellow Card Substitution Out (90′)
      • A. Lennon Substitution Out (89′)
      • G. Bale
      • R. van der Vaart Goals×2 Substitution Out (75′)
      • J. Defoe Red Card

      Subs

      • C. Cudicini
      • P. Crouch Substitution In75′
      • J. Jenas Substitution In89′
      • N. Kranjcar
      • S. Bassong
      • V. Corluka Substitution In90′
      • R. Pavlyuchenko

  • Rate Players

    Rate Players

    Please to rate the players.

    Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account.

    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      - -
      Defenders
      - -
      - -
      - -
      - -
      Midfielders
      Yellow Card Substitution Out45′ - -
      Yellow Card Substitution Out74′ - -
      Goal - -
      - -
      Strikers
      Yellow Card - -
      Substitution Out39′ 10 -
      Subs
      Substitution In74′ - -
      Substitution In45′ - -
      Substitution In39′ - -
    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      Yellow Card - -
      Defenders
      Yellow Card - -
      - -
      - -
      - -
      Midfielders
      - -
      Yellow Card Substitution Out90′ - -
      Substitution Out89′ - -
      - -
      Strikers
      Goals ×2 Substitution Out75′ 8 -
      Red Card - -
      Subs
      Substitution In75′ - -
      Substitution In89′ - -
      Substitution In90′ - -

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account