Thomas Frank cuts a frustrated figure as Tottenham Hotspur lose close fought clash to Aston Villa
Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-2 defeat to Aston Villa was a game where fine margins dictated the outcome. As the Spurs manager noted, the match surely aligned with expectations of a closely fought encounter between two capable sides, fully end-to-end.
Aston Villa’s strikes from distance by Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Buendia proved decisive, exploiting recurring lapses in concentration. Tottenham also generated several promising positions that ultimately yielded nothing. The absence of Captain Cristian Romero due to a minor abductor issue, which had lingered in recent training sessions and finally had its effect in the pre-game warmup, undoubtedly compounded these challenges.
Tottenham’s broader struggles at home, the result extends a concerning trend. In the 2025-26 Premier League season to date, Spurs have managed only one victory, one draw, and one loss at home, contrasting with a very good away record. Over the preceding 18 home league fixtures across the prior campaign and this term, the tally stands at a mere three wins against 11 defeats. Glaring.
Speaking after the game, here is what Frank told Sky via BBC:
“It was exactly the game I expected it to be, against two good teams, very tight. There weren’t too many chances. I think overall it could’ve gone either way. I think 1-1 would’ve been a fair result. Villa scored two goals from outside the box in moments where you wouldn’t expect them to score. Fair play for their moments of quality. We also easily could’ve won.”
“There were two big teams on the pitch. We started very well. Villa produced two goals out of nothing, and we had four or five moments where we couldn’t produce. If you told me before the game that these players will be shooting from these positions I’d have said ‘happy days’.”
The boss sees it all!
These four, five moments have come to bite us back, boss! It clearly means we have to show much more clinical ability in front of goal than what we see from the squad. Not only that, Villa, in certain moments, eased past the midfield, which was very surprising considering the positive run of form both Bentancur and Palhinha have been on.
The side needs more support in the middle of the park, and opposing bodies have to be closed out. Half spaces are very, very dangerous, and that’s how Villa dug out their goals. Nobody in those pockets of the pitch will either have players take a punt at goal or, worse, cross it into the box, and we all know that Guglielmo Vicario is still a work in progress when it comes to crosses.
We can leverage our away form, understand that teams also want to put Tottenham on the back foot from the outset at home, slow the game initially, find our paces, then get going as the match progresses. 90 minutes is a lot, and if the situation demands a patient outlook, so be it, but we have to find results.
Frank is right to remain poised and maintain a positive outlook. Reflects his confidence in the squad. Hopefully, the boys don’t let his trust down. COYS.
