Aston Villa condemned Tottenham to another defeat on Saturday, winning 3-2 in north London as Spurs’ miserable start to the Premier League season continued.
Tottenham remain without a league win and scored their first goals of the campaign only after Villa had raced into a 3-0 lead.
Johan Manzambi opened the scoring for Villa before Nicolas Jackson doubled the advantage after half-time. Emiliano Buendia then produced a stunning long-range strike to put Unai Emery’s side firmly in control.
Tottenham mounted a late fightback, with Conor Gallagher’s effort taking a deflection off Matty Cash before Jan Paul van Hecke headed in during stoppage time. But the comeback came too late to prevent another defeat.
Spurs had spent more than £300 million on new players during the transfer window in an attempt to avoid another relegation battle after last season’s struggles. Yet the investment has so far yielded little return.
Tottenham began brightly, with Savio twice denied by goalkeeper Suzuki before Archie Gray’s powerful effort was also kept out.
Villa had taken just one point from their opening four league matches and had struggled for goals after losing several key players during the transfer window. Manzambi’s return from injury, however, provided an immediate boost as he tapped in Boubacar Kamara’s cross for his first Villa goal.
Tottenham were also frustrated by the new rule requiring players to leave the pitch for at least a minute after receiving treatment for an injury. A head injury to Micky van de Ven left Spurs temporarily short at the back when Manzambi struck.
Villa doubled their lead when Van Hecke failed to deal with a long ball, allowing Jackson to evade the defender and fire past Antonin Kinsky.
Buendia effectively sealed the victory 11 minutes from time, curling a superb long-range effort into the top corner as boos rang around the stadium.
Tottenham finally found a response when Gallagher’s shot deflected off Cash and into the net, before Van Hecke headed in from Andy Robertson’s free-kick in the dying seconds.
The result leaves Spurs rooted in the relegation zone heading into the three-week international break, while Villa will hope the victory can revive their season.
Emery’s side also endured a poor start last season, failing to win any of their first five league games, but recovered to finish fourth.
