Van vanquishes Villa
After a month out with injury, the Holland international returned to score his third and fourth goals against Houllier’s side this season and 10 for the campaign as 10-man Tottenham claimed a deserved victory.
The former Real Madrid star, who scored both of Spurs’ goals in the 2-1 victory over Villa at White Hart Lane in October, scored in each half as Harry Redknapp’s side kicked off the festive period with a vital win for their Champions League hopes.
For Spurs manager Redknapp, the only disappointments were a first-half red card for striker Jermain Defoe for use of the elbow and a forfeited clean sheet after Marc Albrighton’s late consolation.
But he was left purring over the performance of his star man.
“They were two great goals,” he said. “He has been fantastic for us. He has everything as a player.”
Dejected Villa boss Houllier, whose side have now lost four of their last five in the league and remain perilously positioned in 15th, added: “I tried to sign him when I was manager of Liverpool and then again at Lyon. We know each other so well we almost hug when we see each other. He is a fantastic player.”
One ray of sunshine on an otherwise bleak day for the Frenchman was the return of midfielder Fabian Delph, who was handed his first taste of action since a cruciate knee ligament injury in April. Villa flew out of the blocks and they could easily have taken the lead within the opening minute when Albrighton latched onto a James Collins flick-on only to see two efforts blocked by Gareth Bale.
Spurs looked threatening at the opposite end, though, and Villa had Brad Friedel to thank in the fourth minute when Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon combined smartly to send Defoe clean through only for the veteran American to dart quickly off his line to smother.
Houllier’s side were dominating and should have taken the lead in the 18th minute when Gabby Agbonlahor was sent clean through by a Heskey flick-on only for him to fire straight at Heurelho Gomes. The Spurs keeper had an answer to his second effort too.
The importance of that miss became clear just five minutes later when Modric exposed a gaping hole down the left side of the Villa defence, releasing Alan Hutton with a probing crossfield ball before the Scot crossed to leave Van der Vaart with the simplest of tap-ins. So simple yet wonderful to watch.
Elation soon became frustration when four minutes later Defoe was sent for an early bath for use of the elbow when he rose for a high ball with Collins. Intentional? Highly improbable. But he caught the Welshman all the same.
It should have been the turning point in the game but Tottenham simply never allowed it to come to that.
They remained a major threat on the counter-attack and so it proved on 67 minutes.
Bale embarked on a wonder run from inside his own half down the left before cutting inside and switching the play to Aaron Lennon on the opposite side of the area.
He laid off to Van der Vaart and, despite Friedel and a tight angle against him, he found the right corner again with consummate ease. Game over.
Villa, who are badly lacking a cutting edge at present, finally broke the deadlock with eight minutes left when Albrighton’s teasing cross evaded everyone including Spurs keeper Gomes to ensure a tense finale but Spurs’ defence remained resolute.
“I said to the boys at half-time I thought there was another goal in it for us, even down to 10 men,” Redknapp added. “I thought we could catch them on the break.
“We have pace with Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale and with Rafa’s ability I felt we could hit them.”
That they most certainly did.
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