Unai Emery conceded Aston Villa were a “little bit different” after some enforced second-half changes at Tottenham but is not worried about their late collapse in the 4-1 loss.
Villa were on course for all three points after Morgan Rogers fired them ahead in the 32nd minute when Spurs failed to deal with a Lucas Digne corner.
Tottenham responded when captain Son Heung-min set up Brennan Johnson to level with 49 minutes played and yet the clash between last season’s top-four rivals remained finely poised until Dominic Solanke hit a late brace for the hosts.
Defeat on the road. pic.twitter.com/bkw1u9wX4b
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 3, 2024
James Maddison added a fourth in stoppage time for Spurs and Emery pinpointed the withdrawals of Matty Cash and Rogers midway through the second period with injuries as a key turning point in north London.
“I am not very worried about it because it could happen,” Emery said when quizzed on the second-half display.
“How they were going in the match, how they score two goals and after they were in their best position to play how they are feeling comfortable, in transition.
“It was a difficult moment for us but we needed to try to do something. Even at 2-1, if we are scoring or not, I was trying to keep planning something different, but it was very tight how we were.
“Of course after the problem for Cash, after the problem for (Jacob) Ramsey, after the kick of Morgan, they were two players being very consistent and challenging the match really in the level we needed.
“After those necessary changes, the team was a little bit different, but we have to try to get different options as well with the players.”
Villa quickly switch focus to the Champions League with a trip to Club Brugge on Wednesday and Emery expects forward Rogers, who was frustrated to be replaced despite hurting his ankle in an innocuous collision with Pape Sarr, to be fit.
It might be a different story for right-back Cash after he only recently returned from a hamstring issue.
Emery added: “Morgan will be OK because he wanted to carry on playing but I decided no after two kicks.
“And Cash, he felt something in his calf. Hopefully not a lot but he felt it.”
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou dedicated Sunday’s victory to the late Ugo Ehiogu, who would have celebrated his 52nd birthday on the day of the 4-1 win.
The former England and Villa defender died in 2017 following a cardiac arrest at Tottenham’s training ground but the influence of the club’s former under-23 boss remains strong with his ex-colleague Matt Wells now part of the first-team coaching set-up at Spurs.
“It was an important day for us because it’s also the birthday of the late Ugo Ehiogu and he had a big influence on Matty Wells here at the club,” Postecoglou said unprompted.
“I know he played for Villa but he was obviously a coach at our football club. Matty spoke really strongly about him. When you hear things like that, and how people affect your life, it helps give clarity to the players about what we’re trying to do here.
“Obviously for his wife and his son probably a tough day, but hopefully they get a little bit of cheer from the fact Wellsy made it a really important point, that he may be gone but he’s not forgotten.”
