Tottenham 4-1 Aston Villa: Quick-fire Dominic Solanke brace sparks spirited Spurs comeback before James Maddison bags 50th Premier League goal with spectacular free-kick

What is it about teams that play in claret and blue and second-half capitulations here at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

Here, just two weeks ago, West Ham were ahead 1-0 at the break only to be pummelled for four without response in the second half.

Today, Morgan Rogers’ first-half effort had Aston Villa on course for victory at half-time only to be dished out the same four-goal treatment as Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke’s brace and James Maddison guided Spurs to another another stirring comeback.

Ange Postecoglou deserves his drop of claret tonight. In contrast, Unai Emery will be blue all the way back to the Midlands, his team lost their way inexplicably here; totally out of character with the formidable side he has built.

Not that any of that is Tottenham’s concern, as the north London side backed up their Carabao Cup win over Manchester City on Wednesday with another delirious victory over one of England’s Champions League contingent.

Solanke’s first goal was a composed dink over Emi Martinez to give Spurs the lead

Villa took the lead with the first shot on target of the game as Morgan Rogers bundled the ball into an open net

Tottenham hope to be where Villa are next season – back among European football’s elite. More performances like their second half showing here, they will go very close.

That positivity must be tempered, though, with a semblance of realism. Their first-half display lacked any gusto, Morgan Rogers firing home from close range from Lucas Digne’s corner to inflict on Spurs their latest set-piece aberration.

The delivery, in fairness, was wicked. Guglielmo Vicario, in fairness, did well to react to team-mate Pedro Porro’s miscued header before Rogers smashed home the rebound from a yard.

Nonetheless, Tottenham’s record from defending set pieces under Postecoglou goes from bad to worse.

The Australian continues to hold firm in his refusal to appoint a specialist set-piece coach to his staff.

There is no right or wrong answer, of course. But you do wonder if Tottenham would benefit from an addition to Postecoglou’s staff given their struggles at defending dead ball situations.

All that is inconsequential to Rogers, of course. This, his third goal of the season, further tangible proof of his emergence as one of English football’s most promising attacking talents.

Unai Emery’s animated reaction to an Ollie Watkins miss told its own story

This, Rogers’s third goal of the season, further tangible proof of his emergence as one of English football’s most promising attacking talents

A timely reminder, too, for England interim head coach Lee Carsely who selects his squad for the games versus Ireland and Greece on Thursday.

You’d imagine Rogers is knocking on the door. His pass into Ollie Watkins’ path in the 43rd minute to send his Villa colleague clean through another example of his quality.

Watkins couldn’t provide the finish the pass deserved, the Villa striker firing wide of the far post.

Emery’s animated reaction to the miss told its own story. Opportunities like that are hard to come by, what followed in the second half would only have compounded the Spaniard’s irritation.

Elsewhere for Villa, Amadou Onana was having a storming game in central midfielder.

The Belgian was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, too; a combination of Vicario’s hands and the foot of the post preventing Onana from opening the scoring in the 30th minute with a towering header from another dangerous Digne delivery from wide.

As for Spurs, the fact they were booed off at half-time summed up their first half.

Dominic Solanke cut an isolated figure at No 9; while Onana and Youri Tielemans controlled the game from midfield for Villa.

Heung-Min Son gained a yard on his man on the left flank before whipping an inch perfect ball into the path of Brennan Johnson who made no mistake

Son looked visibly angry when he was dragged off as Postecoglou aimed to manage the forward’s minutes

Postecoglou – at this point – may have been regretting his decision not to start chief creator Maddison in favour of Rodrigo Bentancur and Papa Matar Sarr in search of greater defensive balance.

Indeed, his side looked void of any attacking ingenuity in the opening 45 minutes, toiling to breach a Villa back-line drilled within an inch of their lives by Emery.

But there was nothing Villa’s defence could do to prevent the quality of Son’s delivery into the box that allowed Johnson to trigger the second half revival.

The Korean, positioned out on the left, popped his head up before arcing a sumptuous ball that Johnson prodded home for his seventh of the season in the 49th minute.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium erupted. They weren’t at the races in the first-half. They were back on the horse early in the second.

Not only that, but in ascendancy, Solanke forcing Emi Martinez into a smart save in the 51st minute.

So you can imagine the surprise when Postecoglou hooked Son before the hour mark.

Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind; this was Son’s first game back after injury. But the look on the Tottenham captain’s face was picture.

The miffed reaction that followed froth forward on the bench merely re-affirming his ire. Moments later Postecoglu was forced into another change, Cristian Romero limping off in place of Ben Davies, who took his place in the heart of Spurs’ defence alongside Radu Draguin – who was only in the team to replace the inured Micky van de Ven – to make up a makeshift centre-back pairing.

Emery, too, wasn’t without his issues; Matty Cash also walked delicately off to be replaced by Diego Carlos.

Ultimately, it was Tottenham who stormed to huge three points.

Solanke’s delightful finish over Martinez in the 75th minute was exquisite but the pass from Dejan Kulusevski to unlock the Villa defence was just as delicious.

Spurs endured a nervy VAR check for offside – but that just prolonged the agony for Villa.

James Maddison then provided the icing on the cake with a wonderful curling free-kick from just outside the box in stoppage time

The win changes the picture drastically for Spurs and leaves the north London side just two points behind Villa

Indeed, Solanke smashed home Spurs third 11 minutes from time as Pau Torres gifted the ball to Sarr, who released to Richarlison who put the ball on a plate for the club’s record signing to ease any late tensions.

Worryingly for Spurs, Richarlison – who has only just returned to from a long-term injury absence – limped off immediately after supplying the killer pass for Solanke’s second with what appeared a hamstring problem.

But that didn’t kill the victorious vibe here in north London as Maddison, off the bench, curled home a peach of a free-kick in injury time to ensure Tottenham emulated their four-goal salvo against the other team in claret and blue.