Unai Emery's side came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory and leapfrog Spurs after a thrilling end-to-end contest, with Pau Torres scoring a first-half header and Watkins netting a second after 61 minutes.

Giovani Lo Celso had drilled Tottenham in front after 22 minutes with Ange Postecoglou's selection gamble paying dividends at this point, but the hosts' profligacy in front of goal cost them and Villa secured an eighth win from their last 10 matches.

Hours before the match it was revealed former Spurs player and manager Terry Venables had died and a minute's applause was held in his memory before kick-off.

Postecoglou's team selection could have been out of Venables' playbook, with the Australian going even more attacking than usual despite 11 first-team players being out, with Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg dropped.

Rodrigo Bentancur, Lo Celso and Bryan Gil all earned first league starts of the season and it could have been 2-2 after five minutes.

Villa captain John McGinn's cutback was too powerful for the unmarked Matty Cash inside the opening 60 seconds, then Destiny Udogie was sent clear at the other end but ...