Thomas Frank defended Tottenham after they slipped to another home defeat in the Premier League with a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.
Rodrigo Bentancur fired Spurs ahead after five minutes, but they failed to build on a strong start with Morgan Rogers’ first goal for Villa in 20 matches able to level matters in the 37th minute.
Chances remained at a premium in the second half until Villa substitute Emiliano Buendia curled the ball through a crowd of bodies after 77 minutes to inflict more home woe on the north London club.
New boss Frank has overseen two defeats in his first four home league fixtures at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which has added to a dismal overall record from the last 12 months.
This loss makes it three wins from Spurs’ last 18 home league matches.
Asked if he could explain that form, Frank said: “I hope I can. Maybe it is not that simple.
“(This) is a game that is a draw. A clear draw and we could have easily won it instead of Villa and then it is a different narrative. So, I look at the performance on the pitch – we did well and I’ll look at the bits we need to improve.”
Spurs lost captain Cristian Romero in the warm-up to adductor issue, but started superbly as Bentancur drilled in from eight yards after Joao Palhinha headed down Mohammed Kudus’ superb cross.
Kudus had the ball in the net two minutes later but it was ruled out for offside before Wilson Odobert tested Emi Martinez, but Villa levelled when Rogers skipped past Xavi Simons and let fly with a dipping shot from 20 yards.
Mathys Tel squandered an opening at the end of the first half before Odobert had an effort blocked on the line by Ezri Konsa.
Villa boss Unai Emery reacted with Buendia and Ollie Watkins sent on and – while Frank had Lucas Bergvall and Randal Kolo Muani ready for close to five minutes on the touchline – Spurs were punished.
Matty Cash’s sumptuous crossfield half-volley was plucked out of the air by Lucas Digne, who teed up Buendia and he curled into the bottom corner to secure a fifth-consecutive victory for the visitors.
“I think we performed quite well. Maybe not through the roof,” Frank added., “We gave away what eight shots? Not even a cross more or less. Very, very low XG (expected goals) and (Guglielmo) Vicario didn’t have a save.
“If you said to me before the game ‘they will shoot from there, Rogers and Buendia’, from that situation, I would say, ‘of course, it’s not dangerous’, but fantastic quality shot from Rogers.
“In those very little moments, they had more quality in the end.”
Villa started the campaign with a run of five league fixtures without a win, but Emery still expected more from his squad despite a statement success at Tottenham.
Emery said: “Still more to do and still players to increase their level because they are coming after being injured and we have some injured.
“We learn last year, the second half of the season we were performing fantastic and we were with a lot of players in different positions ready to play and helping to play 30 minutes.
“Today is the example. The 30 minutes of Watkins and Buendia, they do a fantastic job. We compete today fantastic and through the quality of the players adding it, we won.”
