As the certainty of Tottenham’s top-four hopes slip from view, Aston Villa’s have never appeared stronger as Unai Emery’s side leapfrogged their hosts in north London. That was the result of a wonderfully open and often chaotic encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Villa rode their luck and just about managed to cling on to their high-wire tightrope to emerge with this statement win, yet one that looked beyond them in the opening stages. Tottenham will struggle to come to terms with this defeat, which leaves Ange Postecoglou’s side with a third Premier League loss in a row and looking very much like a team in the midst of a major injury crisis. But while the makeshift centre-back partnership of Emerson Royal and Ben Davies was exposed by Ollie Watkins, who fired Villa to a ninth win of the season and to within two points of leaders Arsenal, it was Tottenham’s forwards and a host of missed chances that proved just as decisive to the outcome. Because, despite this win and their impressive standing in the table, Villa really should have been buried. Tottenham led and should have been out of sight. Emery’s daring high line will look to have paid off handsomely – but it could have easily been made to appear reckless. Yet it was always going to be this way, in a clash of two teams and two managers who are committed to playing the high-stakes game, even if it doesn’t seem to make any sense. And this was, for the most part, utterly mad, the greatest puzzle perhaps that there were only three goals. Son Heung-min’s usually clinical touch was missing yet he was also unfortunate – the Tottenham captain had three goals disallowed for offside. Spurs could have also scored five or six inside the opening 20 minutes, all from the same route. They only needed one run from deep and one timed pass and they were through Villa’s trap. With Emery lining up with a back three for the first time this season, Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos and Pau Torres were positioned as Villa’s terrifyingly wobbly, thrillingly advanced defence. Tottenham, though, were wasteful. Destiny Udogie, the left-back who drifted to join Son as Tottenham’s second striker, was the first to slip through but lifted his finish over the bar. Dejan Kulusevski was next, wriggling around the ambling Torres with ease, only to place his curling effort onto the post. Kulusevski then found Bryan Gil with a lovely flick, bringing a save out of Emiliano Martinez. Son lurked as the six-yard poacher, coming alive after the initial run was found. The Spurs captain missed what was the best of Tottenham’s first-half chances when he failed to connect with Gil’s cross and there would be more to come. Improbably, Tottenham’s opener did not come from the expected source. Given Villa’s approach, it was a surprise that Giovani Lo Celso’s first-half goal came following a corner, with the Argentine’s crisp strike taking a deflection off Carlos and past Martinez after Villa had cleared to the edge of the box. And yet, for all of Villa’s susceptibility, Emery’s high line also managed to catch Tottenham out. Son thought he had doubled the lead after racing through on goal from 40 yards and curling past Martinez but was denied by the offside flag. There would be more of that, as well. Tottenham, however, were offered a reprieve of their own. Emery’s wing-back ploy at least threatened Tottenham down the flanks and Postecoglou’s own cavalier approach struggled to contain it. Watkins looked to have levelled moments after Lo Celso’s strike, heading past Guglielmo Vicario from Lucas Digne’s excellent cross, but his equaliser did not survive VAR’s offside lines. What the review did reveal, however, was how open Tottenham were: Watkins and Moussa Diaby were left to the makeshift back two of Emerson and Davies, but neither was close to a Villa forward. And while Tottenham continued to waste opportunities, Villa started to show signs that they would make the hosts pay for it. Besides leaving Royal and Davies exposed to the speed of Watkins and Diaby, Tottenham’s own glaring vulnerability was their excessively high defensive line from set-pieces. Torres missed one early chance when he headed past the post but made no mistake in additional time. For the second time, the Spain defender was left unmarked and in the 52nd minute of a chaotic half, Tottenham gave Douglas Luiz at least 25 yards of space to aim for from his deep free-kick. Those extra seven minutes had been created by the loss of Rodrigo Bentancur, injured less than half an hour into his first Tottenham start in nine months following a reckless challenge by Matty Cash. The Villa right-back was sensibly removed by Emery at the break, having picked up a booking and being hounded by the home fans for adding to their increasingly dire injury crisis. Already without nine first-team players, Tottenham were left with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Eric Dier and Oliver Skipp as their only senior options on the bench. Villa, with Leon Bailey and Youri Tielemans, had what Tottenham did not and carried an ability to change the game. It was Tielemans who slipped Watkins through to put Villa ahead and turn the game around, although the Belgium international hardly required the most intricate ball to split Emerson and Davies apart. Watkins glided through unopposed and flashed his finish past Vicario. It was, remarkably, enough to secure all three points. Martinez produced an excellent double stop to deny Johnson after a smart touch from Son and then Hojbjerg’s follow-up shot from distance. Johnson was close to meeting Kulusevski’s cross after a counter, then Tottenham had two more disallowed after Son was caught offside in the box, first from Johnson’s cutback and then from a rebound. Villa remained committed to the entertainment until the end. Emery’s side could also have crowned their victory, though. Watkins didn’t do enough with a point-blank glancing header and Vicario produced a fine stop to deny Digne’s free kick. And, given Tottenham’s absences, with James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Pape Matar Sarr all sidelined, Cristian Romero and Yves Bissouma suspended, and their starting midfield three and centre-back pairing unavailable, perhaps Villa came away with the result they were expected to. It remained on a fine line, however, and in the chaos Emery’s side left behind, the coming weeks will reveal how serious this new top-four challenge will be. Tottenham’s, in the meantime, is in need of a revival. Read More Ollie Watkins hails a ‘massive three points’ for Aston Villa at Tottenham Rodrigo Bentancur injured by Matty Cash in first Tottenham start in nine months Gareth Southgate pays tribute to ‘outstanding coach’ Terry Venables Ange Postecoglou too busy with football matters to worry about agent-rules probe Tottenham vs Aston Villa LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Rodrigo Bentancur return eases Tottenham’s injury crisis

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Arsenal have completed the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham United for a club and British player record transfer fee. The Gunners will pay £100m for the England international, plus an additional £5m to come in bonuses. It also marks the biggest fee received by the Hammers for a single deal. Enzo Fernandez cost Chelsea £105.6m earlier this year in what will remain the most expensive signing for a British club, but Rice’s fee eclipses that of Jack Grealish last summer to make him the most expensive British player ever. Rice, aged 24, becomes the second major midfield arrival of the summer for Mikel Arteta’s side after the capture of Kai Havertz from Chelsea late in June and will wear No 41. It is expected that the new pair, along with captain Martin Odegaard, will form a new regular midfield trio for Arsenal, as they attempt to go one better than last season when they finished Premier League runners-up behind Manchester City. Rice was briefly linked with the champions, though they fell out of the running once the Emirates Stadium club raised their bid to record levels. He will now carry the burden of expectation at the Emirates heading into the new campaign, both due to the size of the fee to sign him and also because he’ll be operating at the base of a midfield which appears decidedly attack-heavy. The role could therefore also be a departure from the one that he operated in at West Ham, where he had more licence to roam forward as a ball-carrier. Having won 43 caps for England, Rice was already a key player under Gareth Southgate at international level and will now hope to elevate his game even further with a step up on the club stage His final match for the Hammers saw him lift the Europa Conference League trophy after defeating Fiorentina in the final. Rice had earlier penned an open letter to Hammers fans confirming his departure from the club for which he made 245 appearances. He said: “I want you to know how tough a decision it has been for me to leave an environment that I have loved and cherished so much. This club and its supporters will always be in my heart, and forever a part of who I am. “Ultimately, though, it has only ever been about my ambition to play at the very highest level of the game. “Playing on the opposite team to West Ham for the first time will be an unusual experience. I’m not sure yet exactly how I will feel, but I also know you will all understand and respect that my professional loyalties have to now lie with my new club.” Arsenal manager Arteta stated his excitement at the signing, saying: “We’re really happy that Declan is joining us. He is a player with tremendous ability, who has been performing at a high level in the Premier League and for England for a number of seasons now. Declan is bringing undoubted quality to the club and he is an exceptional talent who has the potential to be very successful here. “Declan has great experience in the Premier League at only 24 years old. He has captained a very good West Ham team and as we all saw, he recently lifted a European trophy. The responsibility and role he has taken on has been very impressive and we are really excited that he is joining us.” Read More How Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal compares with other big-money transfers Declan Rice leaves West Ham for record fee with Arsenal move imminent The eye-watering sums behind Declan Rice’s record transfer to Arsenal Arsenal complete signing of Ajax defender Jurrien Timber Frank Lampard reveals he wanted to sign Declan Rice when he was Chelsea boss Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber – this is Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal now

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