Dominic Solanke hits double as Spurs end memorable week by thrashing Aston Villa

Ange Postecoglou's side follow-up League Cup victory over Manchester City by winning 4-1 in Premier League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Dominic Solanke celebrates after scoring Tottenham Hotspur's second goal in their 4-1 win over Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 3, 2024. Getty Images

Spurs substitute James Maddison curls home a free kick to make it 4-1. Getty Images

James Maddison celebrates after scoring Spurs' fourth goal in the 96th minute. Reuters

Dominic Solanke chips home for Tottenham to make it 2-1. Getty Images

Tottenham's Dominic Solanke after making it 3-1 in the 79th minute, Reuters

Tottenham's Brennan Johnson celebrates after scoring in the 49th minute. AP

Brennan Johnson scores for Tottenham to make it 1-1 just after half-time. Getty Images

Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers celebrates with teammates after scoring in the 32nd minute to make it 1-0. Reuters

Morgan Rogers (No 27) fires Aston Villa into a first-half lead against Tottenham Hotspur. Getty Images

Aston Villa defender Matty Cash under pressure from Pape Sarr and Son Heung-min of Spurs. AFP

Unai Emery took charge of the club two years ago when Aston Villa were just outside the relegation zone. Reuters

Tottenham Hotspur completed a week to remember after they followed up knocking Manchester City out of the League Cup by thrashing Aston Villa 4-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.

Four days earlier, Ange Postecoglou's side had defeated City 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and followed that by scoring four unanswered second-half goals to inflict only a second defeat of the season on Villa.

The visitors had taken a first-half lead through Morgan Rogers but were blown away after the break thanks to goals from Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke's double and a stunning free-kick from substitute James Maddison.

Victory lifted Spurs – who lost last weekend at previously winless Crystal Palace – up to seventh in the table, two points behind Villa who are sixth.

“We stuck with it,” Solanke told Sky Sports after the match. “A few times this season we've gone a goal down. Against Palace we didn't react in the right way but today we did.

“We always believe we can score many goals. It all came together today in the second half.

“It's been a few games without one [goal]. I've been trying to get one and I got two. Buzzing with it. Nice dink finish, I enjoyed that.

“When we are playing well we can score many goals and we showed that today.”

After an opening half-hour of few clear-cut chances but with Spurs arguably edging proceedings, it was Villa who opened the scoring.

Midfielder Amadou Onana leapt clear of his marker and met Lucas Digne's cross with a downward header that first struck the post and was then scrambled out for a corner by Guglielmo Vicario.

Then, another wicked ball in from Digne was flicked on towards goal with Vicario reacting well to save only for the ball to drop to Rogers, who blasted home from a couple of metres out.

And it could, and probably should, have been 2-0 just before half-time but Ollie Watkins could only flash a shot across the face of goal after finding space behind the Spurs defence.

After failing a register a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes, Spurs were level four minutes after the break when Son flashed a brilliant curling ball across the face of goal that Johnson finished at the back post.

The game's complexion and the atmosphere in the stadium changed immediately and Solanke, who had been a peripheral figure in the first half, hit a shot on the turn that Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez saved well down low.

A visibly stunned Son was then brought off in favour of Richarlison before the hour mark with manager Postecoglou clearly not taking any risks with his captain, who had missed the previous three games through injury.

It was a big call from the Australian, one that the South Korean was not remotely convinced by, making his frustrations very clear back on the bench, but one that paid dividends in the end.

Cristian Romero took over the captain's armband and proceeded to earn an immediate yellow card for a reckless late tackle on Rogers.

The Argentine defender picked up an injury making that challenge and his game was soon over as he limped off the pitch with Vicario becoming Spurs' third captain of the game.

Despite that disruption, Spurs completed the comeback in the 75th minute when Dejan Kulusevski sent a lovely reverse ball to put Solanke through on goal and the England international dinked a lovely finish over Martinez and into the net.

Just four minutes later, and the £60 million signing from Bournemouth was celebrating another goal to make it 3-1. A dreadful ball out from the back by Villa defender Pau Torres was picked off by Pape Sarr.

The Senegalese midfielder then found Richarlison who sent a first-time ball across the box for Solanke to tap home for his fourth league goal of the season.

It proved to be the substitute's final contribution as the Brazilian attacker clutched his hamstring immediately after providing the assist and had to be replaced by James Maddison.

And, six minutes into added time, it was Maddison who put the icing on the cake with a lovely curling free-kick from the edge of the area giving Martinez no chance with his 50th Premier League goal.

“We've got to keep our heads a wee bit in there and have some perspective,” said Villa captain John McGinn. “Many teams will come here and suffer that defeat.

“It's about staying positive. Spurs beat us 4-1 last season and we finished above them. They punished our mistakes.”