Tottenham Hotspur’s commanding 4-1 win over Aston Villa on Sunday was marked by a standout display from summer signing, Dominic Solanke.
Spurs managed to turn around a first-half deficit, with Solanke’s crucial brace in the second half propelling them into a dominant position.
The game initially saw the Lilywhites fall behind in the 32nd minute when Morgan Rogers converted a corner kick for Villa. However, Tottenham came out in the second half looking much more threatening, and quickly responded with an equaliser by Brennan Johnson off an excellent assist from Heung-min Son.
Solanke then scored a 4-minute brace to turn the game around. His first goal, around the 75th minute, gave Spurs the lead. Timing his run perfectly to stay just behind the Villa defence, the Englishman received a brilliant through ball from Dejan Kulusevski and expertly chipped Emiliano Martinez to make it 2-1.
He then added his second shortly after with a composed finish. After Pape Matar Sarr won possession in midfield, he passed to Richarlison, who sent a precise ball across the box to find Solanke. The forward’s calm side-footed finish made it 3-1, effectively sealing the win for the home team.
James Maddison came off the bench to score a late free-kick to add the cherry on the top for Ange’s side.
Ange Postecoglou praises Dominic Solanke for his brilliant performance
After the game, Ange Postecoglou singled out Solanke with praise for his ‘massive’ back to back performances – against Manchester City and Aston Villa. He praised Solanke’s relentless work rate and determination, which makes him invaluable to the team’s front line.
The 59-year-old manager said after the game (via Express):
“I just think the enormous effort he put in on Wednesday night to help us win a game of football, not just physically but mentally, and his capacity to help the team in every way he can… To back that up today with such a massive effort again against a pretty difficult team to play against, it’s just unbelievable.
“Yeah, the goals are great and of course as a striker I am sure he loves the fact he can score a couple of goals, but even if he didn’t, I can’t speak highly enough of what he is contributing to our team at the moment.
“And long may it continue because with him playing that way, it just makes us a better team.”
Tottenham’s signing of Solanke from Bournemouth came with high expectations, given the reported £55 million fee and potential £10 million in bonuses.
Despite a slow start due to an injury, the forward has steadily proven his worth, having racked up four goals and an assist in eight league games so far.
