Tottenham suffer historic start to the season with 2-3 home defeat to Aston Villa
Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-3 at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League and dropped into the relegation zone, while Villa claimed their first win of the season.
Result
Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-3 at home to Aston Villa in a Premier League match. The hosts remain without a league win this season, while Villa secured their first success of the 2026-27 campaign.
How the match unfolded
Tottenham started brighter, with goalkeeper Zion Suzuki making several saves to deny Savio and Archie Gray. In first-half stoppage time Villa took an unexpected lead when record signing Johan Manzambi converted from a loose ball off Boubacar Kamara's shot, with Tottenham captain Micky van de Ven off the pitch receiving treatment after a clash with Tyrone Mings.
In the second half Tottenham thought they had equalised when Mohammed Kudus turned the ball in from close range after a pass from Andrew Robertson, but VAR ruled the goal out for a marginal offside. Shortly after, Nicolas Jackson doubled Villa's lead to 2-0, and Emiliano Buendia made it 3-0 with a powerful strike from around 25 yards. Sources differ slightly on the timing of that goal — Sky Sports puts it around the 79th minute, while The Guardian's live report lists it as the 80th minute. Villa's travelling fans began chanting about the manager's job security after the third goal.
Late on, Tottenham pulled back two consolation goals — Conor Gallagher in the 86th minute and Jan Paul van Hecke with a header in stoppage time, recorded as the 90+6 minute by Sky Sports and the 90+7 minute by The Guardian. There was no time for a full comeback, and the home fans booed at the final whistle.
Context and consequences
According to the BBC, the defeat means Tottenham — who spent more than £300m on summer signings — have now had a worse start to a Premier League season than even their 2008-09 campaign, previously their poorest. The club sits 18th after the match, inside the relegation zone, and manager Roberto De Zerbi is under increasing pressure. Aston Villa climbed to 15th following the win. Both teams' next fixtures come after the international break.
