Ange Postecoglou reveals how Aston Villa found a way past his ‘disciplined and organised’ Tottenham Hotspur side

The Tottenham gaffer named a starting XI comprising some fringe players and key stars in desperate need of game time. However, it turned out to be not enough to stop Villa from getting the points.

Postecoglou faced the media after the game. When asked to reflect on his team’s performance at Villa Park, he told Football London:

“I thought up until they scored the boys had worked hard, they were really disciplined and organised. We didn’t really let them create too many clear openings.

“We had our moments as well, going the other way, but once they scored we lost a little bit of belief. We got a little bit fatigued. A lot of those guys haven’t played a lot and we looked like we were fatiguing and then the game just got away from us.”

Despite a heavily changed side, Tottenham actually did well to keep Villa at bay in the first half. The visitors defended deep and barely allowed Unai Emery’s side any spaces centrally or out wide to exploit, thereby, frustrating the hosts while being dangerous on the counter-attack.

Spurs broke forward in numbers a few times on the break, but could not find the telling pass in the final third to breach the home side’s defence. Wilson Odobert’s left-footed effort from close range was denied by goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in what was the Lilywhites’ only meaningful attack in the first half.

Villa figured out Tottenham in the second half and scored twice, which in reality, could have been avoided with more proactive defending. Nonetheless, it is another league defeat for Ange’s side.

Frustrated with his squad’s lacklustre Premier League form, Ange will demand sharper focus and quicker decision-making from his players against Man United in the Europa League final in Bilbao.