NO wonder Ange Postecoglou had no worries about shotshy Dominic Solanke.
His £65million star striker had not had an effort on target for SIX matches before this game.
Brennan Johnson levelled shortly after the break[/caption]
And then he beats the best goalkeeper in the world, twice, to complete Spurs’ latest turnaround.
It backed up just why his manager said his forward’s toothless run “did not matter” in the lead up to this game – and why Postecoglou’s belief in Solanke was so unshakeable.
Spurs had conceded first in a home Premier League game for the TWELFTH time in 2024 when Morgan Rogers exposed some poor set-piece defending in the first half.
That was unsurprisingly more than any other side, but just like they did against Brentford and West Ham in the last two games, Postecoglou’s men turned it around.
Brennan Johnson got the ball rolling by finishing off an exquisite cross from Son Heung-min, who then looked stunned and angry to be subbed before the hour.
The controversial change was vindicated though as Spurs ran out winners to ruin Unai Emery’s 53rd birthday, thanks to party-pooper Solanke.
His first strike against Emi Martinez – this week voted the world’s best goalkeeper for the second year running at the Ballon D’Or awards – was a clever dink; the second a tap-in.
It delivered, along with James Maddison’s delicious free-kick in injury time, Spurs’ ninth win in their last 11 games in all competitions, lifting them up to seventh and to within two points of the top four.
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You never would have seen it coming at half-time though.
Savvy Villa had frustrated their hosts by slowing the game down and reducing them to lame long shots, mainly from Rodrigo Bentancur.
Then when Spurs showed a vulnerability when defending set-pieces – as was a regular occurrence last season – Emery’s men pounced.
Rogers was Johnny on the spot when Guglielmo Vicario had been forced to parry away a goalbound header from his own defender Pedro Porro, firing home inside the six-yard box.
It was only the second goal conceded from set-pieces by Postecoglou’s side this season – the other being the one that lost them September’s North London derby.
But it will have done nothing to put off future opponents from sensing blood with Vicario in future.
Boos rang out at half-time from the home fans at their side’s display, which would have been punished further had Ollie Watkins not dragged a shot wide just before the break.
Postecoglou would have been well within his rights to give them the hairdryer treatment at the break to up the ante.
Solanke bagged his second just four minutes after his opener[/caption]
Whatever he did, Spurs came out for the second half a new team and within four minutes were on level terms.
Captain Son, back after a two-game absence with a hamstring issue, sent in a delicious cross that Johnson converted at the back post.
It was the Welshman’s first goal in five games after a red-hot streak of seven in seven for club and country.
Then came a moment you do not see too often as Son showed as near to dissenting anger towards his own manager as the mild-mannered South Korean is capable of.
Stunned when his number came up on 56 minutes, Son stood on the pitch with a ‘What, me?’ expression on his face.
Postecoglou waved his arm in ‘Yes you, you’re coming off’ motion and though the pair looked to have a civil exchange as Son trudged off, the 32-year-old’s frustration was obvious.
It was even more obvious when the cameras seemed to pick him saying ‘Why?’ along with an F-bomb after miserably taking his seat on the bench.
Spurs were then forced into another change when Cristian Romero, who had taken the armband from Son, injured himself when flying into a dangerous tackle on Rogers, for which he got booked.
It left Spurs without their first-choice centre-back pairing, with the watching Micky van de Ven already out injured.
But from there the hosts took control, with Solanke taking centre-stage.
Ben Davies, on from Romero, won a 50-50 to spark an attack which saw Kulusevski slip in Solanke who cleverly dinked the ball over Martinez.
Five minutes later he had a second, as Sarr latched onto Torres’ lax pass, fed Richarlison who teed up Solanke to tap home.
It was a brilliant, rapid-fire double to kill off the game, with the only downside was Richarlison injured himself when providing the assist and was forced off.
Birthday-boy Emery’s day was made even more miserable when sub Maddison sent a beautiful free-kick curling into the far corner during ten minutes of stoppage time.
