On a sodden Sunday in north London, Villa delivered a performance that was equal parts grit and guile, overturning an early deficit to claim a 2-1 win over Spurs. It was a result that not only extended our winning run to five in all competitions, but also served as a statement of intent from a side that has quietly rediscovered its swagger.

The match began in familiar fashion for Spurs, who took the lead inside five minutes through Bentancur. The Uruguayan’s well-taken half-volley, following a neat sequence involving Kudus and Palhinha, seemed to set the tone for a home side eager to climb to second in the table. But as has become a recurring theme at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, early promise gave way to late frustration. The boos that rang out at full-time were not new, nor were they undeserved.

Villa, by contrast, weathered the storm with a resilience that has come to define our recent resurgence. The equaliser came courtesy of Morgan Rogers. His goal was a thing of beauty, a looping 20-yard strike that left Vicario stranded and dipped under the bar....