Redknapp brings instant relief

Tottenham Hotspur 1 Aston Villa

A conclusively struck home- debut goal by Jamie Redknapp divided Spurs from an Aston Villa side yesterday who fought hard, created a multitude of chances against a defiant Kasey Keller but in the end will look back and wonder, yet again, whether it all proves that they need something a little extra.

Graham Taylor admitted as much when he said: "It's frustrating to say that players of our capability cannot put the ball in the net in spite of all the effort. They must accept that they have to be harder mentally."

In other words, he still yearns for a player with the mental and physical steel of Matt Holland, the Ipswich captain who despite reports has not yet decided against a move to Villa Park.

As for Spurs, it would be unusual if they started, let alone ended, a season with a full complement of injury-free players. The list yesterday inevitably began with Anderton and included Carr, Freund, King, Poyet but, at the last minute, not Christian Ziege, who was belatedly added to the team. In addition, however, Steffen Iversen withdrew to be with his brother, who has been badly hurt in a car crash.

In spite of this strong but luckless performance, Villa's problems this season are likely to be less with having a depleted squad than having one with too few distinguishing marks. In response, Taylor has obtained Mark Kinsella from Charlton, but on Friday seemed to have been turned down by Holland, who is one of those rare people in football who consider loyalty important. However, the situation is not yet settled.

Kinsella will undoubtedly help improve Villa's tenacity in midfield and give Lee Hendrie more opportunities to show his inventiveness. Indeed, it was Hendrie's 11th-minute volley from outside the penalty area that had Keller diving across goal knowing that had the ball curled a shade more he would have been beaten.

By then, though, Spurs had evolved a succession of quick and thoughtful attacks. From one they had won a free-kick that Ziege floated slightly too high for Teddy Sheringham to get enough power on.

In spite of the relentless pace, Villa composed several impressively testing and well-constructed attacks leading to hopeful possession for Darius Vassell and Peter Crouch. Spurs had plenty of the play too, but little of it as dangerous as that of Villa until, after 26 minutes, Milenko Acimovic drove a powerful free-kick into the goalmouth. As Peter Enckelman attempted to clear in the turmoil, he was kicked by his own defender Alan Wright, and remained on the ground while Kinsella hammered the ball away.

The clearance dropped to Redknapp, who knocked the ball up and volleyed it from outside the area into a goal left undefended by a goalkeeper still holding his head.

By bringing on Juan Pablo Angel for Crouch and Marcus Allback for Ulises de la Cruz immediately after the interval, Taylor quickly saw some profit. Vassell moved to wide right and his speed there brought one of Villa's most promising driven centres that nevertheless skimmed virtually untouched across the goal area. He repeated the move and Angel could not quite turn the ball in.

Although Sheringham volleyed close when he was almost flat on his back, it was Villa who raised the tempo. Wright threaded a good pass forward into the area and Keller cleverly diverted Gareth Barry's deflection. Sheringham responded by moving across to the right edge and playing a superb centre that Acimovic headed over.

Vassell kept up the pressure and when he slipped the ball through to Angel a couple of yards out an equaliser seemed certain. However, the Colombian could not get enough power into his close-in shot, leaving Keller to stifle it in difficult circumstances.

Redknapp always looked to be the controller of midfield, with his composure outstanding amid the pace of a match that never seemed to slow. Even so, the efforts of Vassell in the second half particularly deserved reward. Indeed, the same could be said of the entire Villa side who, even so, could do with an organiser of Holland's ability.

Tottenham Hotspur 1 Aston Villa 0
Redknapp 26

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 35,048