KANE TAKES THE HEAT OFF JOSE
Captain slams home penalty to finish off Villa as Spurs hit back after Europa League meltdown
Job done, as they like to say in Joe Hart’s social media team. only this time without the need for a blearyeyed, morning-after apology from Tottenham’s back-up goalkeeper.
Jose Mourinho’s team performed with genuine urgency and aggression, just as his teams always used to do. They fought for their advantage, pressed on for the second and then refused to yield.
They remained focused on the task in hand, albeit against an Aston Villa side with now only one win in seven League games and devoid of creative thrust without Jack Grealish.
Spurs however conjured the spirit and desire absent for large parts of their two previous games, a defeat at Arsenal and a 3-0 humbling at Dinamo Zagreb after which Hart’s social media people posted an online message on his behalf to say ‘job done’.
Tottenham punished mistakes at Villa Park, pouncing to take a first-half lead with an opening goal by Carlos Vinicius then a penalty won and scored by Harry Kane.
They fought to protect the clean sheet and ensure the flame of a comeback did not catch when Dean Smith’s team rallied, somewhat belatedly, in the closing minutes.
Japhet Tanganga and Davinson Sanchez hurled their bodies in the line of Villa shots and Hugo Lloris scampered after high crosses as substitute Dele Alli juggled absent-mindedly with spare footballs on the touchline — a curious snapshot to finish a turbulent week for Tottenham.
Mourinho criticised his players’ attitude after Zagreb and wielded the axe here, recalling inexperienced defenders Tanganga and Joe Rodon, and starting with Vinicius and Giovani Lo Celso.
Serge Aurier, Matt Doherty, Toby Alderweireld and Harry Winks failed to make a subs’ bench that included 16-year-old strikers Dane Scarlett and Alfie Devine.
The victory brought relief from the criticism and puts them three points behind Chelsea in fourth.
Aston Villa, drifting away from the European places after a strong start to the campaign, trailed from the 29th minute, when a poor clearance by keeper Emi Martinez to right back Matty Cash was intercepted by Lucas Moura.
Moura burst forward, exchanged passes with Kane and as he approached the goal from an angle on the Spurs left had the awareness to cut the ball square for Vinicius to tap into an empty net. It was his 10th Spurs goal but his first in the Premier League.
The others have come against Marine (three) Wolfsberger (three), Ludogorets ( two) and Royal Antwerp (one).
This may explain the emotional outpouring. Vinicius whacked a hand against a goalpost and slammed his chest into Moura.
Either this or the sheer delight to have spared his teammates another ear-bashing from the boss at half-time.
Mourinho spent long parts of the first half stalking the touchline, cajoling and barking instructions, determined not to allow his players, especially his young defenders, to coast or forget their instructions.
Villa boss Dean Smith, a few yards to his left, stewed and consulted as his team continued to struggle for fluency without Grealish, still out with a shin injury and
watching from the stands. Villa failed to register a single shot on target in the first 45 minutes for the first time in nearly seven years. Spurs, meanwhile, sniffed at chances for a second.
Kane climbed above John McGinn from a corner and Tanguy
Ndombele sliced a volley on to the roof of the net. Kane fired wide again and Moura produced a fabulous jinking run only to give Tyrone Mings the chance to clear.
Villa briefly rallied. Rodon blocked an effort by Trezeguet, who did not make the sort of contact he must have been hoping to make, Lloris made a comfortable save from McGinn and Anwar El Ghazi swerved a vicious effort into the side-netting from outside the penalty box.
Then Tottenham punished them for another lapse at the back. Cash was fooled as Kane feigned to cross with his left foot only to check back and make sure he was clipped by the sliding full back and crash to the turf.
The contact was minimal but the Villa defender was in trouble as soon as he launched into the challenge. Mike Dean pointed to the spot without hesitation and Kane picked himself up to send Martinez the wrong way with his penalty kick.
His 27th goal of the season in all competitions. Look out San Marino and Albania. Martinez made a fine low save to deny Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg before Villa’s late flurry of adventure but they met Tottenham in an unusually determined mood, throwing bodies in the line of shots to get the job done. ASTON VILLA (4-2-3-1): Martinez 6; Cash 5, Konsa 6, Mings 6, Targett 6.5; McGinn 6, Luiz 6; Traore 5 (El Ghazi 60 mins, 6), Sanson 5.5 (Barkley 66, 5), Trezeguet 6 (Davis 79), Watkins 6. Subs not used: Heaton, Taylor, Elmohamady, Ramsey, Nakamba, Engels. Booked: Targett, Cash, McGinn. Manager: Dean Smith 6. TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Lloris 6; Tanganga 6.5, Sanchez 7, Rodon 6.5, Reguilon 7.5 (Davies 57, 6); Hojbjerg 7.5, Ndombele 6.5 (Sissoko 81); Lo Celso 7 (Bergwijn 66, 6), Kane 8, Moura 8.5; Vinicius 7. Subs not used: Hart, Dier, Alli, Bale, Scarlett, Devine. Booked: Lo Celso, Vinicius. Scorers: Vinicius 29, Kane 68 (pen). Manager: Jose Mourinho 7. Referee: Mike Dean 6.