- Carew (85)
- Jenas (5), Bent (50)
- Date:2009-03-15
- Kick-off:16:00
- Venue:Villa Park
- Attendance:41205
- Referee:Bennett, S
Live Commentary
90mins
Full Time: ASTON VILLA 1-2 TOTTENHAM. Early goals in each half from Jenas and Bent prove to be enough for Spurs, who go 11th. Villa hit back late on through Carew but it's not enough and they stay fifth
90mins
Villa are pressing for an equaliser but there's just one minute left
90mins
Just the three minutes of injury time will be played at Villa Park
87mins
Spurs appeared to be coasting to a win but that late header by Carew gives O'Neill's side a chance of a draw now
85mins
ASTON VILLA 1-2 TOTTENHAM. CAREW heads a late goal for Villa to give them hope of snatching something from the game
83mins
Barry can't get enough on a shot as the ball drops to him from a tight angle on the left
83mins
Heskey is hauled off by Martin O'Neill - Craig Gardner comes on
82mins
Modric goes off for Spurs with Jamie O'Hara on in his place
79mins
Agbonlahor goes off with teenage striker Nathan Delfouneso replacing him
78mins
Villa have never really looked like getting back into the game since the second goal and Gomes hasn't yet had a serious save to make in the second half
75mins
Lennon's cross-shot almost catches Friedel out as Spurs look for what would surely be a match-sealing third goal
73mins
Keane has had a fairly quiet game but he comes to life and forces Friedel to palm away his shot
70mins
Keane is booked now. The Spurs skipper gives away a free kick and then blasts the bouncing ball away
70mins
Assou-Ekoto needs a bit of treatment after a tangle with Agbonlahor but he's OK and back on the field
68mins
Modric is the third player to be booked
67mins
Barry's cross is aimed for Heskey but the Villa striker is penalised for fouling Gomes
65mins
For really only the first time in the game, Spurs are well on top now as Villa have struggled to react to going 2-0 down
63mins
Modric's well-struck shot is turned away by Friedel
61mins
Knight goes off with John Carew coming on for Villa
58mins
Villa are desperate for a goal to get back into it and they win a corner but Spurs clear it again
55mins
Spurs can't quite believe they are two up after Villa played so well in the first half. Lennon almost makes it three though but his shot hits the stantion behind the goal
54mins
Nigel Reo-coker pulls back Lennon and is booked
50mins
ASTON VILLA 0-2 TOTTENHAM. Robbie Keane's shot from the left appeared to be going in but BENT made sure on the line and tapped it in to double the visitors' lead
47mins
Villa win a couple of early corners but the Spurs backline holds firm
45mins
Spurs kick off the second period
45mins
Half-Time: ASTON VILLA 0-1 TOTTENHAM. It's half time after a thoroughly entertaining first 45 minutes. Spurs lead thanks to Jenas' early close-range header but Villa have had chances and should really be level.
45mins
Barry's cross is headed onto the angle of post and crossbar by Heskey - the closest Villa have come to a goal
45mins
Heskey touches the ball back to Petrov but his shot is weak and easy for Gomes
45mins
Three minutes of stoppage time is signalled
44mins
Darren Bent's cross from the right is deflected just wide of his own goal by Zat Knight then Modric forces Friedel into a good save. Spurs are finishing the half as they started it
43mins
Ashley Young strikes another shot off target as we approach half time
41mins
Heskey challenges Gomes for a deep cross but the Spurs keeper claims the ball
39mins
Villa have dominated possession and will feel they have done enough to be at least level but it's Spurs who stil lead
35mins
Harry Redknapp makes an early change with Zokora, who has failed to cope with Ashley Young so far, going off and Corluka coming on
33mins
Jenas' shot is deflected into the arms of Friedel at one end before Ashley Young bends an effort just past the post at the other end. It's been a great first half at Villa Park so far
30mins
Ashley Young has been excellent so far and he nutmegs Zokora down the left but his pull-back is misplaced and Spurs clear
28mins
Petrov's free-kick deflects away for Luke Young to fire a stinging shot but it's well blocked by the Spurs defence
26mins
Jonathan Woodgate does well to clear behind from another Villa corner
23mins
Zokora picks up the first booking of the afternoon after catching Ashley Young, the Spurs man will rightly think he's been hard done-by there
21mins
Luka Modric breaks into the Villa half but Heskey does well to get back and win the ball off him
18mins
Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes does well to punch clear a corner as Villa continue to push for an equaliser
17mins
It's been a very entertaining end-to-end game so far that looks like having plenty more goals in it
14mins
Barry goes down under a clumsy challenge from Lennon in the box but the referee says no penalty
12mins
Ashley Young gets past Didier Zokora and pulls the back for Gareth Barry but his shot is deflected over the bar
10mins
Heskey can't wrap his foot around a cross from the left at the near post and his effort is wide - better from the home side though
9mins
Stiliyan Petrov's dipping shot from around 30 yards is only inches over the bar as Villa look to respond
7mins
Spurs have started the game exceptionally well, keeping the ball in midfield and the early goal has clearly boosted their confidence
5mins
ASTON VILLA 0-1 TOTTENHAM. JERMAINE JENAS nods Spurs in front from close range after Friedel could only get a hand to Aaron Lennon's brilliant right-wing cross
3mins
Wilson Palacios strikes an effort goalwards from distance but his shot takes a deflection and it's easy for Brad Friedel
2mins
Emile Heskey is caught offside early on from James Milner's through ball before Gabriel Agbonlahor is also just offside a few seconds later
1mins
Villa get the action underway
0mins
Aston Villa are looking to move back up to fourth with a win over Spurs at Villa Park. Nigel Reo-Coker returns in place of Curtis Davies while, for Spurs, Didier Zokora and Benoit Assou-Ekotto come in for Pascal Chimbonda and Vedran Corluka.
Match Preview
Aston Villa's stuttering challenge for fourth place faces another tough challenge when Tottenham Hotspur visit Villa Park.
Martin O'Neill's side have taken only one point from their last four Premier League outings and that came from a 2-2 home draw with Stoke City which saw Villa concede two late goals.
However, Villa are still three points clear of Arsenal going into the weekend programme of fixtures and boss O'Neill is relishing the weeks ahead.
He commented: "I'm excited by the prospect of finishing in the top four. The players have stuck with it and their performances on the whole have been terrific.
"Can we stay with it? There is no reason why we shouldn't be in the mix at the end of the season.
"There should be no reason at all. We should be there. We have kept it going now for the past six months and we now only have three months to go now."
O'Neill has few injury problems, with central defender Martin Laursen the only major absentee as he continues his recovery from knee surgery.
Spurs travel to the Midlands boosted by having snatched a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Sunderland last weekend.
Robbie Keane made it two goals in his last two games against the Black Cats, with the Irishman starting to find top form following his recent return to the club from Liverpool.
Keane's efforts have helped Spurs move four points clear of the drop zone, with boss Harry Redknapp confident that his club will escape from the relegation dogfight.
He said: "As long as we don't go down, I don't care who goes down. I'd be a liar if I sat here and said otherwise. But I'm confident we'll be okay. We have got enough quality in the team."
Redknapp is still shorn of the services of Jermain Defoe and Alan Hutton due to foot injuries, while Ledley King's long-standing knee problems will again be monitored ahead of the game.
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Match Report
Aston Villa's bubble has burst in dramatic fashion as they slumped to another embarrassing home defeat and have now failed to win any of their last seven games.
In the process they have also failed to score in four of their last five matches, allowing Arsenal to take control in the race for fourth place in the Premier League.
Tottenham, meanwhile, increased their unbeaten run to five games as a result of goals from Jermaine Jenas and Darren Bent and eased themselves further away from the relegation area following their fourth away win of the season.
It was certainly a happier return to Villa Park for Harry Redknapp despite some strong barracking from the Villa fans. The Tottenham boss was beaming when Jenas gave Spurs a shock lead when he opened the scoring in only the fifth minute.
Aaron Lennon provided the right-wing cross which Brad Friedel could only parry and Jenas, the former Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United man, was on hand to head home only his third goal of the season.
It was a tremendous boost for Spurs but Villa found themselves in familiar territory chasing the game to the consternation of manager Martin O'Neill.
Villa then attempted to bring Ashley Young more into the game, but with Spurs defending in depth, the young England player had a frustrating time despite creating several openings.
But he did produce one piece of brilliance when he jinked his way along the line, beating a bemused Didier Zokora in the process, before pulling the ball back into the path of Gareth Barry who saw his shot saved by Heurelho Gomes.
The result was that Zokora, who had been booked for a foul on Young, was replaced by Vedran Corluka who immediately had a taste of the Young magic.
After long spells on the defensive, Spurs broke away with Luka Modric forcing Friedel to make a quality save to prevent a second goal for the opposition.
Villa's best chance occurred in the final minute of the first half when Emile Heskey, who had a relatively quiet opening first period, produced a header from Barry's cross only to see the ball strike the crossbar.
It was an expensive miss as five minutes into the second half Spurs increased their lead.
Friedel again parried a shot on goal from Wilson Palacios out to Robbie Keane who produced a low cross to the far post where Bent was on hand to notch his 15th goal of the season.
The goal deflated Villa but the introduction of big John Carew enabled the Birmingham club to stage a recovery with the much-travelled striker pulling a goal back in the 85th minute.
James Milner provided a high cross and Carew rose high to head home his 11th goal of the season. The goal came too late but it did emphasise the importance of Carew to the Villa side.
Previously the feature of Spurs' performance was their solid defence in which Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King were outstanding. They managed to hold out to achieve their victory to force Villa out of the top four for the first time since early December.
Aston Villa Team
Tottenham Hotspur Team
Aston Villa | Tottenham Hotspur |
Corners
| 9 | 5 |
Fouls
| 12 | 9 |
Goal attempts
| 11 | 11 |
Shots off target
| 5 | 1 |
Offsides
| 3 | 0 |



90mins
Keane does well to win a corner, however, and Spurs appear to have secured a narrow win now