Sports
Buendia and Rogers goals pile pressure on Frank despite Spurs fightback
Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers scored first-half goals as Aston Villa ensured their name was in the hat for the FA Cup Fourth Round draw with a 2-1 win over Tottenham in London.
After boos rang out from sections of the home fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the end of the first 45, a much-improved Spurs team launched a valiant comeback, reducing the deficit through Wilson Odobert.
But, in the end, the damage was done before the break as pressure continues to build on manager Thomas Frank.
For Unai Emery’s men, their impressive run of results goes on.
A game of two halves
The visitors were looking to continue their scintillating recent form, and they were on their way to doing that after 22 minutes when a sweeping Villa move ended with Buendia lashing a fierce shot into the roof of the net to give them the lead.
Spurs, wearing an all-white shirt to mark the 125th anniversary of their historic 1901 FA Cup-winning team, were then dealt a further blow when top scorer Richarlison hobbled off with a hamstring injury shortly before the half-hour mark.
Randal Kolo Muani saw a goal chalked off for offside shortly before the break but it wasn’t the last action of the half, with Rogers doubling the visitors’ advantage in stoppage time, finishing well after another slick Villa move.
The jeers rang out among sections of the home support at the half-time whistle, but Spurs fans were given something to cheer after the restart when their team halved the deficit.
Moments after Xavi Simons tested Marco Bizot from distance, Odobert drives low past the Villa keeper from Kolo Muani’s through ball.
Simons then rattled the post with momentum firmly swinging the way of the hosts.
In what was quickly becoming a thrilling cup tie, Buendia went close to dampening Spurs’ hopes of a comeback when his shot was cleared off the line by Pedro Porro.
Spurs saw another goal ruled out for offside, this time through Simons, but Frank’s men, despite a valiant second-half showing, were unable to find the equaliser and it was Villa who progressed.
