Tottenham vs Aston Villa result: Harry Kane goals sink Premier League newcomers in tight contest
Tottenham 3-1 Aston Villa: 2018/19 play-off winners took an early lead and almost held on, but for late goals from Ndombele and Kane
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Your support makes all the difference.Harry Kane finally broke his drought at Tottenham‘s new stadium as his late double earned a 3-1 win over Aston Villa that looked in doubt for a long time.
Kane had gone three games without troubling the scorers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but he put that right with two goals in four minutes to seal the three points in what was a curious evening in north London.
Spurs looked like starting the new Premier League campaign with a defeat after John McGinn’s early opener gave Villa a dream start to life back in the big time.
Tanguy Ndombele showed just why Tottenham broke their transfer record to bring him to the club with a fine leveller 17 minutes from time before Kane stole the headlines with two clinical finishes that masked a match that provided more questions than answers.
Although Kane and Ndombele were the goalscorers it was the introduction off the bench of Christian Eriksen that turned the game, with Mauricio Pochettino choosing not to start the Denmark midfielder as his future at the club remains uncertain.
Spurs get glimpse of life without Eriksen
With the European transfer window open until Monday 2 September, there is still a chance that wantaway Christian Eriksen will get his desired move to Real Madrid, or elsewhere.
Having completed a full pre-season, it was a surprise to see that Eriksen was not named in the first team for Spurs’ opening game of the season. Pochettino insisted it was due to fitness, but there could be an element of something else too.
Eriksen eventually came on after 63 minutes of uninventive and dull football from the home side, perhaps a glimpse of what Spurs might look like without him. His appearance changed the game for Spurs and he injected a new lease of life in the side to get them over the line.
“It is the beginning of the season. I don’t care about (the transfer speculation),” Pochettino said of the decision not to start him. “After his duty with the national team he has had surgery and he’s okay but we prefer he start from the bench.”
McGinn justifies new contract
Villa supporters just love telling people how good John McGinn is, but outside of Villa Park, not a huge number of people would consider him that key to the team.
Often overshadowed by Jack Grealish, McGinn has been integral to Villa’s recent success and the combative midfielder marked his Premier League debut with a goal against Totttenham days after agreeing a new five-year contract.
As well as opening the scoring, McGinn was an important part of Villa’s plan to thwart Spurs. Pochettino’s side is not best known for its width, which meant Dean Smith’s plan to play McGinn, Grealish and Conor Hourihane in the middle halted Spurs for long periods.
Ndombele marks debut with stunning goal
As debuts go, this was pretty decent.
It wasn’t, you feel, the best performance we will see from Tottenham’s record signing, nor is it one he will entirely be happy with, but it was a display that made a difference and justifies why Spurs spent £53m on him.
The quality he brought to the pitch takes Spurs from a good team last season to a very good side. The lack of signings really hindered Tottenham last term, but the French midfielder has come in and lifted the team.
Villa got it right in the transfer market
Much has been said about Villa’s decision to spend £140m on nine new players with their strategy being compared to Fulham’s disastrous campaign. However, it appears that they may have got it right.
11 players left the club during the summer, and from the Tottenham match, it looks as if they have been suitably replaced. Tyrone Mings, who signed on a permanent deal after a loan spell, Bjorn Engels and Tom Heaton were solid at the back. Wesley Moraes and Trezeguet were also threatening in attack.
It’s early days for Villa, but it looks good.
Kane finds August form
Until last season, Harry Kane’s form in the early stages of the season had become something of a running joke.
This year, it appeared to be the same again as he misfired on a number of occasions in the first half against Aston Villa.
However, two well-taken goals late in the game to seal a win for the hosts quickly put an end to that. Premier League defences, beware.
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