Aston Villa’s unwanted run against Tottenham Hotspur continued as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at Villa Park.
Carlos Vinicius handed the visitors the lead when he tapped home from close range in the 29th minute before Harry Kane’s second-half penalty ensured Villa were left empty handed.
It inflicted a 12th defeat in the last 13 meetings against the north London outfit stretching back to 2012.
Villa, who went closest when substitute Anwar El Ghazi’s long-range strike found the side-netting, now head into the international break and will look to get back on track at home to Fulham when Premier League matters resume.
Matty Cash returned to Villa’s starting XI having missed the last five matches due to injury, with Morgan Sanson also included from the off as head coach Dean Smith made two changes from the 1-1 draw at Newcastle United last time out.
It was an opening quarter which saw both sides battling to gain a foothold and take the upper hand, although neither managed to create an opportunity in the final third.
Yet Spurs took the first chance that came just before the half-hour mark.
Emi Martinez raced out of his penalty area to intercept a throughball but his clearance was picked up by Sergio Reguilon, who found Lucas Moura, he exchanged a one-two with Kane and crossed low for an unmarked Vinicius to tap home from yards out.
That goal separated the two sides at the interval and Tyrone Mings did well to divert Kane’s strike away from danger at the start of the second half.
John McGinn forced Hugo Lloris into a save just before the hour mark, before Smith turned to El Ghazi from the bench.
The Dutchman hit the side-netting with a fierce strike from distance within minutes of coming on, with Ross Barkley then introduced as Villa looked for a route back into the encounter.
But their task became even more difficult midway through the second half when Cash brought down Kane in the area and the Spurs frontman picked himself up to send Martinez the wrong way from the spot.
The Villa keeper saved well from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg shortly afterwards before Japhet Tanganga’s block denied Barkley at the other end as Spurs claimed all three points.
Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Luiz, Sanson (Barkley 66), Trezeguet (Davis 79), Watkins, Traore (El Ghazi 60).
Subs: Heaton, Taylor, Elmohamady, Engels, Nakamba, J Ramsey.
