Tottenham 0-2 Aston Villa: Defensive frailties placing limit on Spurs' ambitions

2 years ago 46

Douglas Luiz's cute spot implicit Hugo Lloris astatine Tottenham Hotspur Stadium connected New Year's Day condemned the hosts to a 25-year low.

That extremity meant Tottenham person conceded astatine slightest doubly successful 7 consecutive league matches for the archetypal clip since November 1988.

It is simply a scarcely believable stat for a broadside with Premier League rubric ambitions - oregon astatine slightest finishing successful the apical four.

In 1988-89, the play successful which they past had specified a run, Spurs finished successful sixth place. On the grounds of their 2-0 decision to Aston Villa connected Sunday, they cannot expect to purpose for amended travel May.

Spurs brag Antonio Conte surely signalled arsenic overmuch successful his post-match comments.

"We recognize precise good that the league volition beryllium really, truly hard for us," helium told BBC Sport. "We person to effort to retrieve each the [injured] players and past we person to cognize that successful each crippled we person to combat and amusement that we are strong.

"I privation to beryllium honest, I privation to beryllium precise clear. I person said this to the club, I person said my opinions. The fans merit the best. Maybe to enactment successful 5th is the best. Maybe sixth, seventh, 5th oregon 4th is the best."

Spurs were missing immoderate large names against Villa - Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Rodrigo Bentancur - but France goalkeeper Lloris and Argentina centre-back Cristian Romero, caller from winning the World Cup, returned.

Yet Lloris was liable for the opener 5 minutes into the 2nd half, spilling Luiz's long-range effort and allowing Ollie Watkins to retrieve the escaped shot and quadrate for Emiliano Buendia to slam home.

Conceding the opening extremity and committing idiosyncratic errors person been alarming themes of Tottenham's season.

They person conceded archetypal successful each of their past 7 Premier League matches, the archetypal clip they person done truthful since 2010.

When successful comes to idiosyncratic errors, Tottenham players person talented the absorption 5 goals successful the league this season, astatine slightest 2 much than immoderate different side, with the vastly experienced Lloris liable for 3 of those.

Yet Lloris cannot solely instrumentality the blasted for Spurs' woes. In beforehand of him, errors and uncertainty abound.

In the erstwhile crippled against Brentford, Eric Dier's miscued clearance resulted successful a country from which the Bees scored their 2nd successful a 2-2 draw. Against Villa, Dier was dropped and Romero came into the starting XI.

Before Sunday's game, Romero was fixed an grant by compatriot and erstwhile Spurs subordinate and manager Ossie Ardiles to people his World Cup success. Come the last whistle, helium was fortunate to inactive beryllium connected the transportation aft a reckless complaint connected Philippe Coutinho.

Romero was besides booked successful the archetypal half, arsenic were his centre backmost partners Clement Lenglet and Ben Davies. All 3 were tally ragged by Watkins throughout.

They were picked isolated impressively by Villa for the 2nd goal. Luiz starting and completing the move, sliding a walk to John McGinn earlier racing connected to person the instrumentality and finishing deftly implicit Lloris.

In midfield, Luiz ran the amusement with 92% passing accuracy and 68 touches of the ball. Spurs could not laic a mitt connected Villa successful the centre of the park, and truthful their defence stood adjacent little of a chance.

Spurs person often been dug retired of occupation by their stellar onslaught of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min this season. They person won 14 points from losing positions - the astir successful the Premier League - but specified feats are not sustainable.

It went missing connected Sunday arsenic Kane failed to registry a extremity oregon assistance for the archetypal clip successful 8 location matches.

It was a timely reminder that shoring up the backline indispensable beryllium among Conte's apical priorities heading into the caller year.

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