Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-2 defeat to Aston Villa was a game where fine margins dictated the outcome. As the Spurs manager noted, the match surely aligned with expectations of a closely fought encounter between two capable sides, fully end-to-end.

Aston Villa’s strikes from distance by Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Buendia proved decisive, exploiting recurring lapses in concentration. Tottenham also generated several promising positions that ultimately yielded nothing. The absence of Captain Cristian Romero due to a minor abductor issue, which had lingered in recent training sessions and finally had its effect in the pre-game warmup, undoubtedly compounded these challenges.

Tottenham’s broader struggles at home, the result extends a concerning trend. In the 2025-26 Premier League season to date, Spurs have managed only one victory, one draw, and one loss at home, contrasting with a very good away record. Over the preceding 18 home league fixtures across the prior campaign and this term, the tally stands at a mere three wins against 11 defeats. Glaring.

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Speaking after the game, here is what Frank told Sky via BBC:

“It was exactly the game I expected it to be, against two good teams, very tight. There weren’t too many chances. I think overall...