Aston Villa 1 Tottenham 2: Rafael van der Vaart at the double as Spurs claim victory

26 December 2010 23:44
Rafael van der Vaart struck two goals of breathtaking quality as Tottenham overcame Jermain Defoe's first-half dismissal to prove their top - four credentials.[LNB]The Dutchman lifted his tally for the season to 10 as he spearheaded an unusually disciplined performance by the visitors.[LNB]Defoe was dismissed shortly before the half-hour for elbowing Villa defender James Collins but by that time, Villa Park had been treated to one superb strike by Van der Vaart, returning to the side following a month out with a hamstring injury.[LNB] Dutch of class: Rafael van der Vaart scores Tottenham's opening goal at Villa Park[LNB] [LNB]Another followed after the interval, and this one was even better. Marc Albrighton's goal eight minutes from time raised late home hopes of a fightback. But with Peter Crouch alongside Younes Kaboul and Michael Dawson at the heart of Spurs' defence, Harry Redknapp's side held on.[LNB]Redknapp was purring at the final whistle when asked to describe Van der Vaart.[LNB]'He's a 15 to 20 goals-a-season man,' he said. 'But he's not just a goalscorer. He's an all-round fantastic footballer. With his ability, even when we were down to 10 men, I felt there was another goal in it for us. With Rafa's ability to hold the ball up, along with the pace we have got, there's always a chance.[LNB]'And he worked hard, too. That was his first game back. I gambled because he is only just returning from a hamstring. I thought he could do an hour but I was scared leaving him on longer. But I was mindful of the fact that when he gets the ball, he keeps it for you.'[LNB] Happy days: Van der Vaart celebrates after scoring Tottenham's opening goal[LNB]Redknapp was noncommittal regarding Defoe's second sending- off in the Premier League.[LNB]'I've not seen a replay but a few of the boys were looking at it on our machine at half-time and they felt it was harsh,' he said. 'They said he didn't take his eye off the ball. He's not aggressive really, is he?[LNB]'My assistant, Joe Jordan, thought it was harsh. But then, Joe has made a few challenges in his time. That was probably tame for Joe.'[LNB]Before Defoe's transgression, Redknapp had other reason to berate the officials. A long Van der Vaart free-kick appeared to be over-hit but Alan Hutton did not give up and his pull-back was fired home by Kaboul. The assistant flagged that the ball had gone out of play when Redknapp's 'machine' suggested otherwise.[LNB] What have I done wrong? Jermain Defoe is shown the red card by Martin Atkinson after a challenge on James Collins[LNB] [LNB]However, Villa had posed plenty ofproblems of their own from the flanks before Spurs struck. Luka Modrichad the vision to pick a delightful pass inside Stephen Warnock thatenabled Hutton to stride purposefully down the right flank and barelybreak stride before reaching the ball.[LNB]His low centre was slightly behindDefoe but just as it arrived, so too did Van der Vaart, and the Hollandinternational side-footed the ball inside Brad Friedel's left-hand post.[LNB]After Defoe's dismissal, Spurs werecontent to funnel back. And it was from a clearance, picked up by Vander Vaart 80 yards from Friedel's goal, that they scored the second.[LNB]The Dutchman's neat flick foundGareth Bale, who carried the ball 50 yards, cutting inside first CarlosCuellar and then Fabian Delph. Eventually, the winger found AaronLennon who, in turn, slipped the ball back into Van der Vaart's path.[LNB] Three passes, 80 yards and it's 2-0: 1, Van der Vaart picks up the loose ball and plays in Bale. 2, Bale charges down the right.[LNB] 3, He cuts inside and jinks past three men before passing to Lennon. 4,Lennon cuts the ball back to Van der Vaart. 5, The Dutchman scores witha first-time shot[LNB]With the inside of his left foot, hesent a curling low shot into the bottom corner, drifting away fromFriedel's despairing lunge. Still, Spurs had to be careful. Villacarried a goal threat and when Albrighton cut inside and swung over acentre, Collins, who had been promoted upfield, threw himself at theball.[LNB]That deceived goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes and the cross curled intothe net. That set the stage for a frantic final few minutes that sawRedknapp engage in a touchline row with Robert Pires as Villa committedever increasing numbers forwards.[LNB]Villa have now suffered four defeats in six matches, and holiday fixtures at Manchester City and Chelsea await.[LNB]'We will stick together and pushupwards,' said manager Gerard Houllier before acknowledging theperformance of the man who had turned this game on its head. 'I triedto sign Van der Vaart when I was at Liverpool and then again when I wasat Lyon,' he said. 'We usually hug when we see each other.' Last night,however, it was Redknapp who was handing out the hugs. [LNB] Under pressure: Villa boss Gerard Houllier[LNB] Aston Villa 1 Tottenham 2 - All the action as it happenedHoullier and Aston Villa can end Shay Given's Manchester City hellAnxious Spurs defender Woodgate is back in business as a loan contenderASTON VILLA FC

Source: Daily_Mail