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Aston Villa win is great return for Tim Sherwood at Tottenham Hotspur Aston Villa win is great return for Tim Sherwood at Tottenham Hotspur
(about 3 hours later)
The supply teacher returned and he had his revenge. Tim Sherwood had the last laugh. He was back at White Hart Lane for the first time since he was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last season and he will surely file this victory as the most enjoyable of his short managerial career. The supply teacher returned and he had his revenge. Tim Sherwood had the last laugh. The final whistle blew, there was a wave towards the directors’ box, he shook Mauricio Pochettino’s hand, and then he was marching off towards the jubilant Aston Villa supporters in the away end.
There was personal and professional pride at stake for Sherwood. He got one over on his former employers, yes; but there was also the deeper satisfaction of seeing Aston Villa take another giant stride towards securing their Premier League status. They have breathing space now. Sherwood, needless to say, was determined to enjoy every minute. A few Tottenham Hotspur supporters threw some abuse his way as he walked down the tunnel and Sherwood pumped a fist in their direction. He will rank this victory over the club that sacked him last year as the most enjoyable one of his short managerial career and it must have been uncomfortable viewing for Daniel Levy, Tottenham’s chairman.
The identity of their goalscorer was not a surprise. Christian Benteke has been revitalised under Sherwood and his eighth goal in his past six matches was enough for Villa to beat Spurs, whose season is in danger of petering out. This was a tactical and motivational triumph for Sherwood. He outmanoeuvred Pochettino, Villa were the more accomplished side, and defeat for Tottenham means their season is in danger of petering out. “It is difficult to fight for the top four,” Pochettino said. “We need to be realistic.”
While Tottenham were lowering their sights to the Europa League, Villa were taking another giant stride towards securing their Premier League status. The only blow for Sherwood is that Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ciaran Clark picked up injuries that may rule them out of the FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool next Sunday, while Carlos Sanchez will be suspended at Wembley after his late red card.
Yet Villa can worry about that later. This was their first victory at White Hart Lane since 2008 and the identity of their goalscorer was not a surprise. Christian Benteke has been revitalised under Sherwood and he followed up his hat-trick in last Tuesday’s 3-3 draw with Queens Park Rangers by scoring the winner here. It was his eighth goal in his past six matches.
The result rarely looked in doubt once Benteke headed Villa into the lead after 34 minutes, although Sherwood was at his wits’ end after Sanchez was shown his second yellow card for scything down Danny Rose in stoppage time. Tempers threatened to boil over and there was a fracas on the pitch, while Sherwood’s assistant, Tony Parks, had to be held back as he tried to confront one of the Tottenham coaches.
The afternoon began pleasantly enough. It was like a scene from the red carpet when Sherwood emerged, a mass of photographers huddled around the tunnel in the moments before kick-off, waiting for the grand entrance. He smiled, slapped hands with a member of Tottenham’s backroom staff and found his seat in the dug-out.
Were Tottenham guilty of allowing themselves to become distracted by the Sherwood sideshow? Quite possibly. Their defence was nervy without Jan Vertonghen, who was missing because of illness, and it soon became clear that Benteke and Agbonlahor believed that they could expose Tottenham’s vulnerabilities.
The warning signs were there for Tottenham when Vlad Chiriches, who was deputising at right-back for Kyle Walker, failed to clear his lines three times in the space of a minute. This was an ordeal for Chiriches, whose confidence is so low that even the most basic tasks were beyond him. The home fans groaned whenever the ball went near the Romanian, Benteke often pulled away to the left to unsettle him, and Villa’s opener came after he conceded possession cheaply inside his own half.
Tom Cleverley sprayed a pass out to Leandro Bacuna on the right and his cross was met by Benteke, who took advantage of slack marking to elude Eric Dier and Federico Fazio, before guiding a low header into the far corner. The ball bounced into the net off the inside of the right post and Michel Vorm could only stand and watch as it went past him.
Villa could have been out of sight by the break. Agbonlahor burst past the unconvincing Fazio and his shot from the edge of the area struck the left post.
Tottenham were creaking. Sherwood used a diamond in midfield, with Sanchez in the screening role and Jack Grealish at the tip of it, and Fabian Delph and Cleverley dominated. Christian Eriksen struggled to find space for Tottenham and Villa were not affected when Clark limped off with a knee injury after a collision with Fazio.
Nathan Baker replaced Clark and he performed commendably alongside Ron Vlaar. Villa’s centre-backs kept Harry Kane, Tottenham’s captain, unusually quiet.
Danny Rose had Tottenham’s best chance, but Guzan denied him with his feet, and it was a day to forget for Pochettino’s side. There was no spark. They lacked ideas and appear to have run out of steam.
They did muster a couple of threatening moments after the break, Rose seeing a shot deflected wide and Kane bending an effort over, but Delph should have wrapped up the points when he ran clear near the end. He could not beat Vorm, however, and Villa steeled themselves for a frantic finale.
Yet they were stout. Vlaar was the game’s outstanding performer and Guzan did not have to make a serious save in the Villa goal.
Sherwood turned a deep shade of green when the fourth official’s board showed five minutes of stoppage time, but the celebrations were not far away.
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It was like a scene from the red carpet when Sherwood emerged, a mass of photographers huddled around the tunnel in the moments before kick-off, waiting for the grand entrance. He was the star attraction and the cameras were trained on him, but he kept it low-key. He smiled, slapped hands with a member of Tottenham’s backroom staff and took a seat in the visitors’ dugout for the first time in his career.
Were Tottenham guilty of allowing themselves to become distracted by the Sherwood sideshow? Quite possibly. Their defence was nervy without Jan Vertonghen, who was missing because of illness and it was immediately obvious that Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor fancied their chances of exposing Tottenham’s vulnerabilities.
The warning signs were there for Tottenham when Vlad Chiriches, who was deputising at right-back for Kyle Walker, failed to clear his lines three times in the space of a minute. There is not much confidence in Chiriches at White Hart Lane. The home fans groaned whenever the ball went near the Romanian, Benteke often pulled away to the left to unsettle him with his strength and Villa’s opener came after he conceded possession cheaply inside his own half.
From Villa’s perspective, it was a fine move. Tom Cleverley sprayed a pass out to Leandro Bacuna on the right and his cross was met by Benteke, who took advantage of slack marking to elude Eric Dier and Federico Fazio, before guiding a low header into the far corner. The ball bounced into the net off the inside of the right post and Vorm could only stand and watch as it went past him.
Villa deserved their lead and they could have extended it just before half-time, Agbonlahor outpacing Fazio and cracking a shot against the left post from 18 yards out.
Tottenham were creaking. Sherwood had Villa’s midfield assembled in a diamond formation, with Carlos Sánchez in the screening role and Jack Grealish at the tip of it, and Fabian Delph and Cleverley were overwhelming Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb with their snap and energy. Christian Eriksen was struggling to find space for Tottenham and Villa were not affected by seeing Ciaran Clark limp off after a collision with Fazio.
Nathan Baker and Ron Vlaar were keeping Harry Kane unusually quiet and Danny Rose had Tottenham’s best chance. Eriksen set him up but Brad Guzan in the Villa goal saved well with his feet. Fazio sent a header just over and Eriksen also threatened an equaliser but Lee Probert’s half-time whistle was greeted by loud boos from the Tottenham fans. It must have been music to Sherwood’s ears.
For Spurs, it was threatening to turn into a day to forget. They were flat, passes were going astray and there was a worrying lack of invention and imagination about everything they attempted. A second goal for Villa felt a likelier prospect than a Tottenham equaliser and the second half began with Vlaar blazing a presentable opportunity over from 15 yards out.
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Sherwood was finding it increasingly difficult to contain his emotions. He had waited until the 15th minute before leaving his seat – out of concern for the stricken Clark – and by the 32nd minute he was bellowing at the fourth official after a decision went against Villa. He wanted this badly. When Agbonlahor just failed to beat Dier to a loose ball, he puffed out his cheeks and looked to the heavens.
The danger for Villa was that they would regret failing to make the most of their superiority and the fragility of their lead was highlighted when a shot from Rose was deflected just past the right post, before a bending effort from Kane grazed the bar in the 60th minute.
Kane’s shot was always rising, but so was the volume, Villa starting to show signs of tiredness, Tottenham belatedly pushing them back. Kane was joined by Roberto Soldado in attack and the tension grew. Yet Villa were stout. Vlaar was the game’s outstanding performer and Guzan did not have to make a serious save in the Villa goal.
Sherwood went a shade of green when the fourth official’s board showed five minutes of stoppage time and Villa could have imploded when Sánchez was sent off for his second yellow card, but the celebrations were not far away.