Tottenham were rocked on Sunday, with Aston Villa coming from behind to win 2-1 on a rainy afternoon in north London. Rodrigo Bentancur opened the scoring in the opening five minutes of the match, with the midfielder reacting well inside the box to lash an effort past Emiliano Martinez. Villa then levelled through Morgan Rogers, with the England international unleashing a stunning effort to draw his side level before the break.Another incredible passage of play saw Emiliano Buendía fire a shot from outside the box into the far left corner to take the three points for Villa. GB News now takes a look at three things we learnt from the fixture.
Palhinha is the signing of the summer for Spurs
João Palhinha impressed for Tottenham despite their Premier League defeat to Aston Villa | GETTYJoão Palhinha has by far been the most impressive signing for Thomas Frank’s side, with the former Fulham star producing a positive display in the middle of the park despite his side’s defeat. The Portuguese player picked up another assist as he set up the opportunity for Bentancur to bundle home. He has offered Spurs much-needed stability both going forward and defensively. Not only did he pick up an assist, but he also played a crucial part in keeping his side level during Villa’s pressure in the second half, before there was nothing he could do to stop the brilliance of Buendía. While he is only on loan this season, it would be unthinkable for Frank not to bring such a key player of his scheme into the system long term.
Spurs are still missing that killer player up front
Thomas Frank remains short of a world-class forward following Tottenham’s defeat to Aston Villa | PARicharlison has long been the replacement for Harry Kane up front for Tottenham, after the England international decided to make a big-money move to Bayern Munich.However, when it comes to the No 9 position, Spurs remain short of a world-class marksman. Richarlison’s form this season has not been great, with only three goals throughout this Premier League campaign. Frank made the choice to start youngster Mathys Tel for the game on Sunday, before bringing on Richarlison at the hour mark, but neither was able to create any big chances.Instead, Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus were the bright sparks for the Lilywhites.
Individual brilliance saves Villa
“A beauty of a finish from Emi Buendia!” 😍 pic.twitter.com/KHZVO01nFD— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 19, 2025 For a long period of the game, Spurs looked to be the better side, piling on the pressure after getting off the mark quickly with Bentancur’s goal.But Rodgers, Buendía, and Lucas Digne all showed moments of brilliance for Villa that showed that if they can sit in and defend against great teams, they will be able to counter and win games.This was a huge result for Unai Emery’s side and the Spaniard will be delighted with his side’s win.