Dominic Solanke scored twice as Tottenham came back strong in the second half to defeat Aston Villa 4-1 on Sunday, closing in on a top-four spot in the Premier League. The victory puts Spurs just two points behind Villa in the standings.
Morgan Rogers gave Villa an early lead in the first half, but Spurs came alive after the break. Brennan Johnson equalized shortly after halftime, setting the stage for Solanke’s impact. Solanke scored with a clever chip in the 75th minute to put Spurs ahead, then netted again just four minutes later, finishing off a cross from substitute Richarlison.
James Maddison sealed the win in stoppage time with a powerful free-kick, lifting Tottenham to seventh place with 16 points, only two points behind Villa, who missed their chance to climb into third place.
Ahead of the match, Villa’s players wore shirts reading “Fuerza Valencia” to show support for the victims of recent floods in Spain, the home country of their manager Unai Emery.
Spurs played with energy from the start, and captain Son Heung-min returned from injury, but the team struggled to create clear chances. Rodrigo Bentancur’s long-range shot landed on top of the net, while Jacob Ramsey’s shot for Villa was deflected, and Amadou Onana hit the post before Rogers scored from close range after a corner kick.