Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min (32) celebrates the win.
Tottenham Hotspur defeated Aston Villa 4-0 in the 28th round of the 2023-2024 Premier League (PL) season at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, on Tuesday (Jan. 10). After Villa midfielder John McGinn 카지노사이트 was sent off in the 20th minute, Tottenham scored two more goals to put the game away.
With the win, Tottenham secured a six-point cushion in the race for fourth place. There are now just two points between fifth-place Spurs (53 points) and fourth-place Villa (55 points), who have played one more game. For Spurs, it was a valuable win that boosts their hopes of qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL).
Four goals came in the second half alone. Vice-captain James Maddison opened the scoring. In the fifth minute of the second half, Pape Sarr sent in a cross from the right flank that beat the offside trap perfectly, allowing Maddison to slot home with his left foot for the opening goal. Tottenham went up 2-0. In the eighth minute of the second half, Kuluczewski picked up a miscue in the opposition box and crossed to Son Heung-min in front of goal. Heung-min could have taken the ball himself, but he didn’t and played the ball to Johnson on the left. Johnson immediately connected with a right-footed shot that rattled the net. It was Son’s seventh assist of the season.
Villa self-destructed with a needless sending off. In the 20th minute, captain McGinn kicked Udogie hard on the leg as he dribbled, a dangerous challenge that didn’t even touch the ball. The referee immediately pointed to the spot with a direct red card. It was a ridiculous sending off that completely dampened Villa’s spirits after the substitutions.
The Tottenham bench, having seen the worst tackle of the game, protested strongly. Udogie was furious with McGinn and went down in pain. The Tottenham players were furious, too, and a clash broke out. Son Heung-min and coach Unai Emery quickly broke up the fight. Criticism of McGinn followed. Don Goodman, a former Wolverhampton striker, said: “Udogie first got up angrily, then he said, ‘Actually, I’m hurt,’ and then he went down again. It was an ugly, horrible tackle.”
Connor Cody, who plays for Leicester City, added: “It was obviously too much. I’m sure the Villa players are upset, but I can understand the reaction of the Tottenham bench and players. “It’s really disappointing for Villa to have their captain go off and one of their first team players go off, because McGinn was really strong in his challenge,” he said.
As it turned out, McGinn’s sending off completely crushed Villa. With numerical superiority on their side, Spurs took their time and cooked Villa down to 10 men, adding two more goals. Son Heung-min drove a wedge into the game. In the 45th minute, Dejan Kulusebski broke down the right flank and crossed into the box. Son Heung-min connected with a powerful, unstoppable volley that split the net. It was his second goal in two games and 14th of the season.
Son’s red-hot toes would not cool down, as in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, Son made a quick run down the left side of the box and played a cutback pass to Timo Werner, who finished with a unstoppable shot. The game ended with a four-goal victory for Tottenham. With the win, Spurs effectively won the match by six points.
Spurs now have a realistic chance to clinch fourth place. With one less game to play, a win would move them into fourth place. Add to that the fact that McGinn, the mainstay of Villa’s attack and captain, is suspended for at least three games. Naturally, it was an unbelievable win in a game that was a watershed moment in the fight for fourth place.
They can’t afford to let their guard down. Spurs still have games against Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal. They need to perform well in these games to move up the table. “Enjoy our football,” said coach Enzi Postecoglou. We need to celebrate this achievement. It’s good that we won an important game of the season,” he smiled.
