Aston Villa Lose 2-1 to Tottenham After Seven Changes

Aston Villa suffered a 2-1 home defeat to relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, after manager Unai Emery made seven changes to his lineup ahead of the second leg of their Europa League semifinal against Nottingham Forest.

The loss at Villa Park came days after Villa fell 1-0 behind in the first leg at Forest's City Ground. Emery rested key players including Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Lucas Digne and captain John McGinn, who was nursing a hamstring issue, to ensure they were fresh for Thursday's decisive match at home. The rotated side, featuring experienced players such as Tammy Abraham, Ross Barkley, Jadon Sancho, Ian Maatsen and Victor Lindelof, managed just one shot on target and struggled throughout. Tottenham took the lead through Conor Gallagher, who had twice rejected moves to Villa, before adding a second goal. Villa pulled one back late but could not avoid defeat.

Emery's decision drew mixed reactions. Critics highlighted the missed opportunity to push Tottenham closer to the bottom three with three games remaining, potentially widening Villa's revenue gap with wealthier rivals. Villa generated 378 million pounds in revenue for the 2024-25...