Tottenham Faces Setback Against Aston Villa Amid Injury Concerns for Richarlison

After starting on the bench during Wednesday’s 3-2 Premier League loss to Bournemouth, Richarlison was reintegrated into the starting lineup as Tottenham sought a much-needed victory against high-flying Aston Villa.

Having secured only one win in their previous six matches, Spurs head coach Thomas Frank aimed to alleviate the pressure surrounding his position against Unai Emery’s Villa, currently sitting third in the Premier League.

Unfortunately for both Richarlison and Tottenham, their night began poorly when Argentina midfielder Emi Buendia put Villa in front just 22 minutes into the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The situation worsened for Spurs shortly after when Richarlison appeared to suffer a hamstring injury and was subsequently substituted for Randal Kolo Muani, who had been benched following a start against Bournemouth.

Tottenham’s woes deepened as Villa’s Morgan Rogers scored a second goal just before halftime, executing a composed left-footed finish in the third minute of added time, leaving Spurs trailing 2-0 at the break.

In an improved performance during the second half, Tottenham managed to reduce the deficit when Wilson Odobert netted his second goal of the season at the 54-minute mark. However, their hopes for an equalizer were dashed when Xavi Simons had a goal ruled out for offside after rounding goalkeeper Marco Bizot.

As the match concluded, Villa secured their 13th victory in 15 games, leaving Tottenham with their 11th defeat of the season. Following the match, Rogers reflected on the performance, stating, “We were good in the first half, and in the second half they came out really well. We had to dig deep and I think we deserved the win in the end.”

In light of Richarlison’s potential injury, Tottenham will be anxious about his recovery as head coach Frank grapples with an extensive injury list, which currently excludes midfielders James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, and Mohamed Kudus.

On a positive note, striker Dominic Solanke returned as a substitute against Villa after a lengthy ankle injury layoff, and Destiny Udogie was also named on the bench despite recent hamstring issues.

Ahead of the Villa clash, Frank updated on several players’ statuses, indicating that Kulusevski’s knee injury was complicated but manageable, and he expressed hope for a return in a few weeks.

As uncertainty looms regarding the severity of Richarlison’s injury, Tottenham will aim to rebound against struggling West Ham United in their next league match on Saturday, January 17, while Villa prepares to face an out-of-form Everton.