By admin 
Aston Villa secured their place in the FA Cup fifth round with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park.
Despite a late scare from the visitors, Unai Emery’s side delivered a dominant performance, creating numerous chances and ultimately holding on to claim a well-deserved win.
The game got off to a sensational start for the hosts as Jacob Ramsey put Villa ahead within the opening minute.
Morgan Rogers’ incisive play in midfield saw him glide past three Spurs players before threading a perfectly weighted pass into Ramsey’s path.
The midfielder’s shot was straight at Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, but the young stopper failed to deal with it, allowing the ball to squirm through him and into the net.
Villa continued to dominate proceedings throughout the first half, creating a string of chances.
Donyell Malen, Leon Bailey, Youri Tielemans, and Rogers all tested Kinsky, but Spurs somehow managed to avoid further punishment.
We exit the FA Cup. pic.twitter.com/DJAxB1oHOX
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 9, 2025
Tottenham, on the other hand, struggled to create much in attack, with their best chance falling to Heung-min Son, who forced a strong save from Emiliano Martinez midway through the half. At the break, despite Villa’s control, the score remained just 1-0.
Tottenham came out with more intent in the second half, with Yves Bissouma, Dejan Kulusevski, and Son all having early efforts blocked as they sought a way back into the game.
However, Villa maintained their attacking threat and were finally rewarded for their pressure just after the hour mark.
Malen played a quick one-two with Bailey before driving a low ball across the face of goal. Pedro Porro’s desperate clearance fell straight to Rogers, who made no mistake from close range to double Villa’s lead.
Spurs, now chasing the game, pressed forward but were wasteful in front of goal. Mathys Tel, Danso, and Son all had opportunities to pull one back.
Substitute Marcus Rashford had a chance to put the game beyond doubt late on, but his heavy touch saw the opportunity slip away.
As the game entered stoppage time, Tottenham finally found a breakthrough. Kulusevski whipped in an excellent cross from the right, and Tel met it with a deft outside-of-the-foot volley, guiding the ball into the far corner.
The goal gave Spurs a glimmer of hope with four minutes left to play, but Villa held on to secure the win.
The win means Villa advance to the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign, when they reached the final.
For Tottenham, however, it marks another frustrating exit from a domestic cup competition, adding to their recent struggles under Ange Postecoglou.
Spurs’ inability to take their chances and their defensive frailties once again proved costly, leaving their hopes for silverware this season hanging by a thread.