Villa Win 3-2 at Tottenham as De Zerbi’s Spurs Drop Into the Bottom Three

Aston Villa claimed their first Premier League win of the season with a 3-2 victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 19 September, a result that pushed Roberto De Zerbi’s Spurs into the relegation zone. Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emi Buendia put Villa three goals clear before Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke scored late for the hosts.

Tottenham remain without a league win after five matches. With two points and a goal difference of minus six, Spurs have made their worst start to a Premier League campaign, eclipsing the 2008-09 season, when they also had two points but a goal difference of minus three at the same stage.

A first half that turned on one moment

Spurs began brightly and forced Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki into several saves. The complexion of the game changed when captain Micky van de Ven had to leave the pitch after suffering a facial injury. Villa took advantage in first-half stoppage time, when Manzambi tapped in Boubacar Kamara’s cross.

Tottenham thought they had equalised shortly before the hour when Mohammed Kudus found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Villa then scored almost immediately. Jackson won a duel with van de Ven and finished clinically on 67 minutes, and Buendia made it 3-0 with a superb strike from around 25 yards on 79 minutes.

Gallagher ended Tottenham’s league goal drought from close range on 86 minutes, their first Premier League goal of the season. Van Hecke headed in a second deep into stoppage time, but there was no time for an equaliser.

• Result: Tottenham Hotspur 2-3 Aston Villa, Saturday 19 September 2026.
• Villa scorers: Johan Manzambi (45+3), Nicolas Jackson (67), Emi Buendia (79).
• Spurs scorers: Conor Gallagher (86), Jan Paul van Hecke (90+6).
• Mohammed Kudus had a goal disallowed for offside just before the hour.
• Spurs have lost 22 home league games since the start of 2024-25, according to Sky Sports.

De Zerbi: tough to accept, tough to explain

De Zerbi was visibly frustrated afterwards. “It’s tough to accept. It’s tough to understand. It’s tough to explain, because I’ve never seen one team able to play the same game in two different ways,” he told the club’s website, contrasting an encouraging first half with a second period in which Spurs were repeatedly exposed.

He pointed to the way the goals were conceded, including one immediately after the disallowed Kudus goal and another that began with a goal kick. The head coach said his team had known Villa would use long balls and quick transitions, yet had not dealt with them. He also revealed that he chose not to speak to the players in the dressing room. “Maybe it’s better, I didn’t speak with the players today because I didn’t want to say anything,” he said.

Villa manager Unai Emery praised the character of his squad after a slow start. “Their commitment to us, challenging themselves to achieve what we did before and replacing important players, is fantastic,” he said.

Analysis: why Spurs’ problems run deeper than one result

The headline numbers are stark. Two points from five games, a first league goal only in the 86th minute of the fifth match, and a place in the bottom three. The context makes it more uncomfortable: Tottenham spent heavily in the summer and were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Liverpool earlier in the week. A squad assembled to climb the table is instead looking over its shoulder.

The pattern in this game was revealing. Spurs created chances when they could play on the front foot, and Suzuki had to be sharp. Yet once Villa scored, the hosts lost their shape. De Zerbi’s teams have always been built on brave possession and positional structure; when that structure breaks down, the space behind the defensive line becomes the obvious target, and Villa aimed for it directly.

Van de Ven’s injury was significant. The Dutch defender’s speed is an important safety net for a team that holds a high line, and his discomfort after the facial blow coincided with Villa finding their rhythm. Jackson’s goal came from a duel with van de Ven, underlining how much Spurs rely on their captain to cover ground.

The late goals may offer a crumb of comfort. Gallagher’s finish and van Hecke’s header showed the team is capable of scoring when it commits numbers forward, and ending the drought removes one psychological burden. But the timing also suggests Villa had eased off, and the scoreline flatters the hosts.

There is also a mental dimension to consider. Teams that go several weeks without a win often start to play with hesitation, and small errors multiply. De Zerbi described one of the goals as coming from a failure to “communicate better” and to “stay like a family”, language that suggests he sees the problem as collective rather than individual. Rebuilding that collective confidence during an international break, when many players are away with their countries, is not straightforward.

Villa find their feet

For Villa, this was an important release. Emery’s side had not won in the league before arriving in north London, and the manner of the victory showed a clear plan. Kamara’s delivery for the first goal, Jackson’s strength for the second and Buendia’s long-range quality for the third illustrated a team that has different ways of hurting opponents.

• Villa’s first Premier League victory of the 2026-27 season.
• Manzambi, Jackson and Buendia shared the goals, spreading the threat.
• Suzuki made several key saves while the score was still level.
• Emery highlighted how new players have stepped in for departed ones.

Where this leaves both clubs

The international break gives Villa time to build on a result that eases the pressure of a stuttering start. For Tottenham, the fortnight will be dominated by questions about the head coach and the direction of an expensively rebuilt squad. De Zerbi’s refusal to address his players immediately may have been an attempt to avoid saying something in anger, but it also reflected the scale of his frustration.

Malaysian fans of Spurs, many of whom watched the late-evening kick-off local time, will know that five games is still early. Tottenham have enough talent to climb, and the first goal of the season could free the attack. But without greater defensive resilience and a first win very soon, the conversation around the club will only intensify when the league resumes in October.