Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur earned a vital 2-1 win at Villa Park, with a commanding first-half display enough to overcome a late Aston Villa fightback. Conor Gallagher broke the deadlock in the 12th minute, curling a precise shot inside the post. Richarlison doubled the lead on 25 minutes, rising to meet a Mathys Tel cross at the six-yard box. Spurs dominated the opening half with over 70% possession and looked well in control. The game had an edge — Rodrigo Bentancur and Randal Kolo Muani both collected yellow cards. Emi Buendía pulled one back with a stoppage-time header from a Matty Cash cross, but it came too late. The victory moves Tottenham to 17th place with 37 points, lifting them out of the drop zone at a critical stage. Aston Villa remain fifth on 58 points but must quickly refocus — a Europa League semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest awaits on Thursday.