Harry Kane hailed one of the “greatest moments” in his fledgling Tottenham career after helping his side snatch a comeback victory over 10-man Aston Villa with a late winner at Villa Park.
Villa’s five-game and 15-minute wait for a goal ended when Andreas Weimann opened the scoring following a spell of dominance from the hosts as he collected Charles N’Zogbia’s cross to slot home from close range.
Tempers flared for the second time in little over five minutes after the hour mark and Christian Benteke was shown a straight red card by referee Neil Swarbrick after a tussle with Erik Lamela in which the Belgium international raised his hand to Ryan Mason’s face.
Things started to go downhill for the hosts after that and Spurs found their equaliser with five minutes left as an unmarked Nacer Chadli fired home Lamela’s corner, before substitute Kane’s deflected lastgasp free-kick claimed all three points for the away side.
Kane said: “Without a doubt it was one of the greatest moments for me in a Spurs shirt in my career so far.
"To be 1-0 down in an important game for us, we needed a win and to pull it back there at the end is a moment I won’t forget.”
The 21-year-old striker, who was sent on by Mauricio Pochettino with just over 30 minutes left, added: “The manager said there’s plenty of time left, to be getting on the ball, you’ll get some chances so take one and obviously fortunately I was able to do that and it’s all smiles in the dressing room now.”
Victory lifted the heat off Pochettino whose side had only won once in their previous seven league games.
The result means, however, that Villa boss Paul Lambert will now come under increasing pressure from fans due to his side’s dismal run.
Roberto Soldado should have put the visitors ahead after 12 minutes, but headed wide after Christian Eriksen’s shot deflected into his path.
In between Benteke nodded wide and the Belgian went even closer to ending Villa’s goal drought when he hit the bar from 16 yards.
But the hosts did, finally, score when N’Zogbia was allowed to cut inside on the right and his low cross was steered into the right corner by Weimann from 10 yards.
A first goal in 50 days raised the hosts’ belief but Spurs still created the better openings and Guzan gathered Younes Kaboul’s closerange header.
Tottenham were slicker than Villa and exploited space out wide but failed to find a killer touch.
While they had style Spurs lacked the grittiness the hosts displayed.
Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor were wasteful before Adebayor missed a golden chance to level after 27 minutes. Put clean through by Soldado, his low effort was turned wide by Guzan.
Benteke’s looping header dropped just wide three minutes before the break and Pochettino reacted by throwing on Lamela for Eriksen for the second half.
When that had little effect, Kane replaced Adebayor and the striker immediately headed straight at Guzan.
The second half then exploded into life when Benteke was sent off.
Tottenham levelled with six minutes left when Chadli arrived at the far post to volley in Lamela’s corner.
They then snatched the points in the 90th minute when Kane’s 20- yard free kick deflected off Nathan Baker to wrong-foot Guzan.
Lambert said: “Before the red card I thought we were really comfortable and well in the ascendency of the game.
"It changed the game in the sense it gave Tottenham the ascendency to play against 10 men.”
