Aston Villa booked their place in the FA Cup fourth round with a hard-fought and occasionally fiery 2-1 victory away at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, 10th January 2026. The visitors survived a second-half fightback from Spurs to heap pressure on home manager Thomas Frank.
Buendia Inspires Villa to Half-Time Lead
The match was ignited by a moment of brilliance from Emiliano Buendia after 22 minutes. The Argentine midfielder thumped a fierce drive into the roof of the net at the near post, beating goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario after a slick team move. The goal was created by a superb reverse pass from Donyell Malen, as Villa sliced through the Spurs defence with a sequence of four quick passes.
Villa doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time, with Buendia turning provider. After a clever one-two with Malen, he produced an impudent backheel into the path of Morgan Rogers, who made no mistake, slotting home for his eighth goal of the season. Spurs thought they had pulled one back through Randal Kolo Muani, but the striker's effort was correctly ruled out for offside.
Spurs Fightback and Controversial Finish
Tottenham emerged with renewed vigour after the interval and halved the deficit just seven minutes into the second half. Wilson Odobert was the scorer, drilling a powerful low shot into the far corner after Kolo Muani capitalised on a mistake by Villa's Lamare Bogarde.
The home side pushed relentlessly for an equaliser and thought they had found it in the 79th minute. Xavi Simons rounded Villa keeper Marco Bizot and tapped in, sparking wild celebrations, only for them to be cut short by the linesman's offside flag. The late drama culminated in a major confrontation after the final whistle, with players from both sides involved in a melee apparently sparked by Spurs' Joao Palhinha.
Villa Player Ratings: Stars and Setbacks
Emiliano Buendia was the undisputed man of the match, earning an 8.5/10 rating for his goal and assist in a commanding display. Morgan Rogers (8/10) complemented him with a well-taken goal and constant threat.
The victory was slightly marred by an early injury to key midfielder Boubacar Kamara, who was forced off after just seven minutes following a painful knee clash with Palhinha. Substitute Youri Tielemans (7/10) performed admirably in his place, dictating play in the first half.
In defence, Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres (both 7/10) were largely solid, while stand-in goalkeeper Marco Bizot (6/10) made several important saves but was fortunate with the disallowed goal.
The result means Aston Villa progress to the next round of the FA Cup, while Tottenham's cup run ends at the first hurdle, increasing scrutiny on boss Thomas Frank after a disappointing result at home.
