Tottenham finally find the net but Aston Villa expose deeper problems

Tottenham’s long wait for a Premier League goal is over, but Roberto De Zerbi’s side remain without a league victory after falling to a 3-2 home defeat against Aston Villa.

Spurs were already 3-0 down before late goals from Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke made the scoreline more respectable. Villa secured their first league victory of the campaign, while Tottenham have now gone five matches without a win despite their major summer investment.

For De Zerbi, ending the scoring drought offered little consolation after another performance exposed problems at both ends of the pitch.

Spurs created opportunities, particularly during the first half, but once again struggled to turn promising attacks into goals.

Archie Gray and Savio were denied by Zion Suzuki, while Sandro Tonali twice went close from distance. Mohammed Kudus also found the net after coming on, only for his effort to be disallowed for offside.

Gallagher eventually ended Tottenham’s Premier League drought after Kudus beat his man and supplied the pull-back. Van Hecke headed home another in stoppage time, but Villa had already done the damage through a Tottenham midfield they repeatedly managed to play through.

De Zerbi had identified goals as his biggest problem before the game. Spurs finally scored two, but their first league victory remains elusive.

Tottenham’s afternoon became worse when Pedro Porro was forced off after just 19 minutes.

The right-back had missed the previous two matches through injury but returned to start against Villa. He appeared in considerable discomfort after attempting a tackle and eventually accepted that he could not continue.

Gray replaced him, with Tottenham now waiting for the results of further assessment.

The upcoming three-week international break at least provides additional recovery time, but another extended Porro absence would leave De Zerbi with another significant squad problem.

Dominic Solanke also endured another frustrating afternoon after recently returning from injury.

The 29-year-old struggled to influence Tottenham’s attack and was replaced after 66 minutes. His most notable opportunity was a header from a corner that went comfortably over.

With Richarlison outside De Zerbi’s plans, Tottenham need Solanke to rediscover his attacking influence quickly.

Spurs have finally started scoring. The challenge now is finding the consistency and balance required to start winning.

The international break gives De Zerbi valuable time to reassess a Tottenham side still struggling to turn possession and opportunities into results.

Porro’s condition will be an immediate concern, while improving Solanke’s output and finding greater defensive stability will be important before Spurs return to Premier League action in October.