Aston Villa ease past Tottenham in top-five boost but Martínez’s future unclear

Ange Postecoglou surely felt like crying but at the final whistle emotions appeared to be running highest for Emiliano Martínez. The Aston Villa goalkeeper was visibly moved as he waved to supporters upon leaving the pitch and was in tears as he headed down the tunnel. Afterwards Unai Emery, mindful of the power of those profitability and sustainability calculations, did not exactly extinguish suggestions this could have been Martínez’s final game at Villa Park.

Martínez played his part in a huge win for Villa in their attempt to qualify again for the Champions League, though they may still require favours. Emery checked his phone as he entered his post-match press conference to see confirmation of Chelsea’s win over Manchester United.

“We are winning but it’s not in our hands,” the Villa manager said. Asked if this could be Martínez’s final home match, Emery replied: “I don’t know, we will see about the team, the players … we will see about everything, how we are going to try and get better for the new season.”

For Postecoglou, it was another unedifying defeat and as preparation for Wednesday’s Europa League final against Manchester United goes, this was another demoralising takeaway. By the end the early promise of their fit-again captain, Son Heung-min, had fizzled out. At this point it is intriguing to consider quite how many bruising results Spurs can stomach in one season. This was their 25th defeat of the campaign in all competitions, equalling the club record for a single season, set in 1991-92, and Tottenham have now lost eight of their past 11 top-flight matches.

Postecoglou made three changes from Sunday’s defeat by Crystal Palace but Son and Wilson Odobert, who filled in for the injured Dejan Kulusevski, may be the only ones to start both here and in Spain. The January signing Antonin Kinsky again deputised for Guglielmo Vicario, who was on the bench, and the defensive trio of Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven trained at Spurs’s base rather than travelling to Villa Park, a decision Postecoglou defended.

“They stayed at home, did a really strong session and come Wednesday they are all available and that is the most important thing,” the Spurs manager said. “When those guys play, with Vic in goal, our chances of success significantly improve.”

View image in fullscreen Unai Emery said he ‘didn’t know’ if this would prove to be Emi Martínez’s last game at Villa Park. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/Reuters

That soundbite was a damning if unsurprising indictment for the rest of them, including Sergio Reguilón, who was drafted in for his first Premier League start of the season and his first for Tottenham since April 2022, when Antonio Conte was in charge. His last appearance came in the FA Cup third round at Tamworth and since Spurs were taken to extra time there it has felt like a never-ending sticky patch. There seemed more bad news when Pape Matar Sarr departed early in the second half with a back problem but Postecoglou said his withdrawal was precautionary.

Until scoring Villa appeared a touch fraught, a little too keen to record a win that moves them level with Newcastle. Spurs also had a couple of decent chances, Martínez making a superb save with his foot after 16 minutes to repel Odobert’s flicked effort. Moments earlier Martínez fumed at how far Odobert was allowed to carry the ball before locating Son, who sent a powerful shot against a stanchion.

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Villa had started slowly after the interval. Emery waved his players forward and hopped on the touchline. Then Kevin Danso blocked an Ian Maatsen shot and at the subsequent corner Villa sparked into life. John McGinn sent the ball towards the back post, where Ollie Watkins directed a header towards the six-yard box and Ezri Konsa, after eluding his marker, Mathys Tel, sent a shot in through the legs of the Spurs substitute Yves Bissouma. Konsa credited Villa’s set piece coach, Austin MacPhee. “We worked on that specific corner and it came off,” the England defender said.

Postecoglou, arms folded, swivelled in the dugout wearing that familiar despondent face. Things could have spiralled for Spurs but a minute later Kinsky made a smart save after the ball trickled through to Watkins. Villa’s home form has been imperious, their sole league defeat in another sparkling campaign coming against Arsenal here in August, and they assumed total control.

Spurs were shot and on 73 minutes Boubacar Kamara sidestepped Bissouma on the edge of the box before rattling a low shot past Kinsky. At the time Spurs were readying a double change. Dominic Solanke and Rodrigo Bentancur entered and Brennan Johnson, a former Villa target, was later introduced off the bench. Postecoglou has to pray that potentially wholesale changes on Wednesday will bring a happy ending to an otherwise truly torrid season. It has been that way for a while.

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