Aston Villa survived a strong late push from Tottenham to win 2-1 and reach the FA Cup fourth round. Villa led 2-0 at half-time, then resisted a spell of Spurs pressure after the break. Wilson Odobert’s strike gave Spurs hope, but Thomas Frank’s team could not force extra time.
The visitors had already lost Richarlison to injury before half-time, and replacement Randal Kolo Muani twice thought an equaliser had arrived. Each time, however, the offside flag stopped Spurs. Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers made those reprieves count, as Villa took control before the interval.
Spurs actually began on the front foot. Odobert curved a long-distance effort straight at Marco Bizot, then Mathys Tel volleyed off target at the far post. Villa struck first
after 22 minutes, when Donyell Malen shielded the ball and Buendia lashed his finish into the roof.
Spurs believed they were level on 42 minutes. Kolo Muani, who had replaced Richarlison, finished a sweeping move after a driving Xavi Simons run. Replays showed the forward had moved too early, and the assistant’s flag cut short the celebrations, keeping Villa’s narrow advantage intact.
Villa punished Spurs again during first-half stoppage time. Buendia found space near the edge of the area and slipped a clever backheel to Rogers. The English midfielder controlled near the penalty spot and guided a composed shot beyond Guglielmo Vicario for a 2-0 lead at the break.
Spurs raised the tempo once play resumed. A forceful Kolo Muani run through midfield drew Villa defenders infield, giving Odobert room on the right. Odobert cut inside onto the left foot and drove a low finish into the bottom-left corner, halving the deficit and lifting the home crowd.
Villa still carved out chances to seal the contest. Buendia almost grabbed another when a close-range effort seemed destined for goal, only for Pedro Porro to produce an outstanding goal-line block. Simons then rounded Bizot and scored in the 79th minute, but again started marginally offside.
THROUGH TO THE FOURTH ROUND pic.twitter.com/sM0Hu8yJAsAston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 10, 2026
Buendia shines and historic FA Cup fourth round statistics
Buendia’s influence across the first half proved decisive. The midfielder registered his first-ever FA Cup goal and now has six goals in all competitions this season. That total is Buendia’s highest in a single campaign for Villa, underlining the growing attacking impact within the current squad.
Buendia led Villa’s attacking numbers on the night. The Argentine recorded four shots, level with Ollie Watkins, and generated two ‘big’ chances. Only Rogers, with three key passes, created more opportunities. The data underlined how often Buendia linked midfield and attack during Villa’s strongest periods.
| Player / Team | Statistic | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Emiliano Buendia | Goals this season (all competitions) | 6 |
| Emiliano Buendia | Shots vs Spurs | 4 |
| Emiliano Buendia | Big chances vs Spurs | 2 |
| Morgan Rogers | Chances created vs Spurs | 3 |
| Emiliano Buendia | Chances created vs Spurs | 2 |
| Aston Villa | Consecutive FA Cup eliminations of Spurs | 2 seasons |
| Tottenham | Seasons reaching FA Cup fourth round before this year | 11 |
Villa’s win also carried historic weight. The team became the first side to knock Spurs out of the FA Cup in successive seasons since Manchester United in 2007-08 and 2008-09, both fourth-round exits. For Spurs, this is the first failure to reach the fourth round since 2013-14.
The result sends Villa into the FA Cup fourth round with momentum, having combined sharp finishing with determined defending under pressure. Spurs, by contrast, leave the competition earlier than in any of the previous 11 seasons, adding further scrutiny on Thomas Frank after another knockout setback.
