AVB revolution gaining traction

Tottenham 2 Aston Villa 2

Second-half goals from Steven Caulker — his first for Spurs, not that he knew much about it — and Aaron Lennon were enough to beat an Aston Villa side who remain even more of a work in progress under Paul Lambert.

Villa, though, will rue a miss by Christian Benteke shortly before Spurs’ opening goal that followed an error by Hugo Lloris, the France goalkeeper, who was given his Premier League debut by Villas-Boas, ending former Villa ‘keeper Brad Friedel’s run of 310 successive league starts over eight seasons.

Nevertheless, a first clean sheet of the season meant AVB’s gamble paid off, and sends Tottenham away for the international break in good spirits, with a match at home to Chelsea, who sacked him last season, next on their fixture list.

“We didn’t get the results we wanted at the beginning but we are getting consistent now,” Villas-Boas said. “The ambition we have to be among the league leaders is immense and now we have the opportunity to play the league leaders at home. They are a tremendous attacking force and it will be a difficult game but we hope that playing an unbeaten leader will give us motivation.

“We decided it would be logical to get Hugo acquainted with the Premier League, and since he will now play for France it gives him a run of games. As for the future we have to decide, because Brad has been immense and we respect that.”

The first half was forgettable.

Villa gave the ball away with regularity, but when Spurs got it, their final pass usually went astray.

Even with the home side fatigued after a 4am return on Friday from their Europa League game against Panathinaikos, Villa’s first chance did not arrive until the 36th minute, when Lloris raced out to block a run by Gabby Agbonlahor on the edge of the penalty area.

But after 52 minutes Lloris’s throw-out was intercepted by Brett Holman. Mark Albrighton’s cross to the unmarked Benteke was inch-perfect but the Belgian forward headed wide.

Instead of an opener for Villa, it was a wake-up call for Spurs, who took the lead in the 58th minute. Gareth Bale’s corner from the right was allowed to travel beyond the far post, where Jermain Defoe collected it and shot. For a second he began celebrating his 200th senior goal until he realised that the ball had hit Caulker on its way past Brad Guzan.

Lambert made a double substitution, bringing on Darren Bent and Charles N’Zogbia, but before either of the new men could touch the ball, Villa were 2-0 down.

Clint Dempsey fed Lennon on the right, and with only Joe Bennett in front of him, he tried a low angled shot that found the far corner through the defender’s legs.

Dempsey glanced a header wide and Guzan touched Bale’s cross-shot onto the post, but another goal would have been harsh on Villa, who played the final stages a man short, Bennett stretchered off with a gashed leg.

Lambert defended his decision to start Benteke ahead of Bent on the grounds that the England forward “is a better player with someone beside him” — ignoring his successful spells as a lone striker.

But he admitted: “The big moment was Christian’s miss. If you have chances at a place like this you have to take them, and you know it’s not your day when a deflection goes in. But I can’t fault the effort.”

TOTTENHAM (4-1-4-1): Lloris, Walker, Caulker, Gallas, Vertonghen, Sandro, Lennon (Townsend 86), Dempsey (Sigurdsson 82), Dembele, Bale, Defoe (Adebayor 68).

ASTON VILLA (4-1-4-1): Guzan, Lowton, Clark, Vlaar, Bennett, Delph (N’Zogbia 66), Albrighton (Bent 66), Holman (Bannan 74), El Ahmadi, Agbonlahor, Benteke.

Referee: N Swarbrick.