Michael Dawson ensured Harry Redknapp retained his grip on the final Champions League berth with a performance of immense character against one of their rivals for a top-four finish this season.Spurs' stand-in captain volleyed a wonderful equaliser, moments after Jermain Defoe had seen a goal ruled out by referee Phil Dowd for handball.
A share of the points was no more than Spurs deserved for the way they dominated long periods of the game after Gabriel Agbonlahor had given Villa a ninth-minute lead, forcing the ball home in a goal-mouth scramble.
REACTION:
Redknapp is hardly the shy and retiring type and while Martin O'Neill continues to try to deflect attention away from Aston Villa's challenge for a top-four finish this season, the Spurs manager believes it is time for his players to embrace the challenge.
Spurs reached the heady heights of third place with this fully deserved point against one of their main rivals in the fight to break the domination of the traditional Big Four.
Villa manager O'Neill remains coy about whether his players have what it takes to sustain their efforts until May, but Redknapp was in bullish mood after the game.
"The players believe they can break into the top four this season. Why shouldn't they think they can do it?" Redknapp asked.
"We all have to keep believing it. We have got a chance, of course we have. Why can't we do it? It's hard but it is not impossible. There is nothing to say that we can't break into the top four. We have showed that against a team competing with us.
"In the second half I did not see the possession stats, but I bet that they were massively in our favour. We pushed Villa back so much and they could not get out. I am sure Martin O'Neill will be very happy that he got a point out of it.
"Fourteen games gone and we have 26 points and we are well in there. We have made a good start and we are happy with that. We have got good players and we are not a bad team so we are going to give it the best we have got. Whether we make it or not. Who knows?
"But I certainly see us getting a place in Europe next season. I would be very surprised if we miss out on that. I think the top seven will be us, Villa and Manchester City, along with the four clubs who are always up there."
O'Neill feels Spurs are favourites ahead of his own side to take advantage of any slip-up from Arsenal or Liverpool this season.
And his side still have some way to go in terms of improvement and learning lessons if they are not to suffer the same second-half slump that cost them so dearly last season.
"We had the better of the first half and Spurs had the better of the second. We will learn some things from this," said O'Neill.
"We have to learn that when you are on top and you have scored the first goal, you have to try and make that superiority count and get another goal. Unfortunately we did not manage to do that and that is what gave Spurs a chance to get back into the game.
"They played very well and second half we could not get out of our half at times and we needed that second goal, because we were hanging on.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
For once, football justice prevailed here. Villa's early goal was the product of an enterprising start from O'Neill's side and Agbonlahor's strength won out. From that point Spurs responded magnificently and only Brad Friedel and some excellent defending from Villa kept them at bay. Defoe proved he was human by missing chances and then tried to handball an equaliser, which was expertly spotted by the officials. Spurs refused to accept defeat and Dawson produced a shot Defoe would have been proud of to equalise.
WHAT IT MEANS:
Villa will reflect upon this and realise they were fortunate to avoid defeat. Will the huge amount of effort sap them for the Carling Cup quarter-final at Portsmouth? The same cannot be said of Spurs. They will travel to Manchester United on Tuesday with renewed belief. If Sir Alex Ferguson puts out a drastically weakened team, Spurs have what it takes to take advantage.
QUOTEABLE:
"Sir Alex has never put out a weakened team against us. That seems to have passed him by."
- Harry Redknapp on the chances of his side being given an easy night at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
ASTON VILLA 1 (Agbonlahor 9) TOTTENHAM (Dawson 77)
PLAYER MARKING:
Aston Villa (4-4-2): Friedel 8; Beye 7, Dunne 8, Cuellar 8, L Young 7; Milner 6, Reo-Coker 7 (Sidwell 70,5), Petrov 6, A Young 5; Carew 6 (Heskey 75,5), Agbonlahor 7.
Substitutes not used: Guzan, Downing, Delph, Gardner, Clark.
Tottenham (4-4-2): Gomes 6; Corluka 6, Dawson 7, Bassong 5, Assou-Ekotto 5; Lennon 6, Palacios 5 (Jenas 65,6), Huddlestone 6, Kranjcar 9 (Keane 78,5); Defoe 6, Crouch 6.
Substitutes not used: Alnwick, Hutton, Bale, Bentley, Rose.
ATTENDANCE: 39,866
NEXT UP:
- Aston Villa v Portsmouth (away) Carling Cup, Tuesday, 1/12, 1945 GMT
- Spurs v Manchester United (away) Carling Cup, Tuesday, 1/12, 2000 GMT
MAN OF THE MATCH:
Niko Kranjcar (Tottenham): The Croatia international was hugely impressive against Wigan last weekend and he continued where he left off. Virtually everything dangerous produced by Tottenham came as a result of the former Portsmouth midfielder's influence. His awareness and ability to spot passes and deliver them is a joy to watch. On another day he would have scored.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I've read several reports this morning and to a man they're mealy mouthed towards Spurs. As a Spurs supporter I wonder where this comes from? Perhaps you'll point to the copy and say credit was given where it was due but only one team dominated and yet still you managed to rate Villa over half a point better per man than their Tottenham counterparts. Ridiculous!
As a fellow Spurs supporter I think you're suffering from Spurs miserablitis. I've read all the reports and seen MOTD and the full post-match interviews, and everyone from Mark Lawrenson to Martin O'Neil says we bossed possession and shots, deserved at least a draw and are the most likely top four candidates. Revel in the praise for once.