In the eight seconds and three passes between Ollie Watkins, who gave the ball away, and Dominic Solanke, who scored for Tottenham Hotspur, you could hear the cries of fear from Aston Villa's analysts.

Villa were level in the final quarter of an hour of the game. The ball was played into the path of Watkins, who wanted to attack quickly, knowing Jhon Duran was at his side and sensing the chance to play two-on-two up front.

He turned into Ben Davies and tried to hit the ball past the centre-back, but it hit a wall.

Davies' block sent the ball flying towards Pape Matar Sarr, who had space to lash a pass through Villa's disorganized midfield.

The analysts' desperation was also reflected in Villa's technical department. Unai Emery's game plan – based on thorough organization and limiting space and turnovers – had become a temporary solution in a fleeting, punishing passage. It crystallized the contradictions of Villa's setup that are usually clear under Emery.

In his post-match press conference, Emery reiterated that “transitions” were fundamental to Tottenham's attacking patterns. This affected Villa's mindset from a defensive perspective as they sat significantly further out of possession and looked to reduce the space between the lines.

This was evident in both teams' average line of possession – how high or low both teams won the ball back – with Villa provoking turnovers just 21 meters from their goal.

However, the conservative plan contrasted with Emery's second-half substitutions, when Duran's effort – six minutes before Solanke's first goal – put the striker alongside Watkins. Of course, the presence of two strikers meant Villa attacked directly and with fewer passes – which is usually a no-go under Emery.

At this point in the game, having Watkins and Duran together seemed like a risky substitution, especially away from home against another Champions League contender. The decision came at the expense of Morgan Rogers, who felt he had to get out after two blows to his legs, despite the 22-year-old's protests.

Regardless, Duran was a stylistically contrasting option. Rogers is a ball carrier who is crucial for Villa as he transitions from a crouched, deeper shape to pushing upwards. Defensively, Rogers closed the gap behind Watkins – the space in which Sarr could bring the ball forward to the goal without pressure.

Demanding a pairing of Duran and Watkins comes with drawbacks that were revealed within seconds. They are two No. 9s who benefit from playing in the back row and occupying similar spaces. The impact of a potential partnership on Villa's overall structure, with and without the ball, is acute and requires balance.

Emery usually manages his substitutions well. Largely thanks to Duran's influence, Villa scored the most Premier League goals from substitutions (10) and had the most goal involvements (10 goals, seven assists) from the bench in 2024. On this occasion, however, Duran's arrival had the opposite effect: he registered four touches in 30 minutes and only appeared to exacerbate a dysfunctional second-half performance.

When asked about the thinking behind pairing Duran and Watkins, Emery said: “Because it’s a possibility. I have to try to give minutes to the players on the field and figure out how we can get better with those players. It's the process we have and we're building a team. We try to get a strong structure in everything. One situation we have to work with are these two strikers. We have to give them the chance to gain self-confidence.”

The pairing of Duran with Watkins (above) was risky at this point in the game (Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

Ten minutes before the end of regular time, three substitutes were brought on. This also caused frustration for some fans, considering that Jaden Philogene, Leon Bailey and Boubacar Kamara were ready when the score was level and then came on with Villa trailing 3-1.

Tottenham scored two goals in four minutes to put the rug out from under Villa. The players looked to the sky and Watkins exchanged words with Lucas Digne; They were completely different to the players who had confidently walked through the tunnel at half-time with a one-goal lead.

For much of the first half, Villa stuck to their assists in big games. They were aware of their defensive responsibility. Watkins recorded just two touches in the first 25 minutes as Villa gave Tottenham more possession and territory but limited chances to long, hopeful shots. And like in the same game last season, they scored their goal from a set piece.

However, there is a fine line between organization and passivity, and Villa increasingly leaned towards the latter. Emery often talks about his team being the “protagonists” in games, but they never gave the feeling of being on top against Spurs until Duran's substitution tipped the scales completely in the opposite direction.

Unlike last year – and perhaps influenced by their leadership – Villa showed no improved intent at the start of the second half. Back then, Villa's substitutions were inspired and offered much more penetration and pace while maintaining a solid foundation. This time, three minutes after half-time, Tottenham scored, as Emery later put it, “their first goal”.

Although Brennan Johnson's goal provided new momentum and bolstered the home support, Villa still had time to stabilise. Shockingly, they only became more cautious.

Emery might have recognized this and introduced Duran to encourage more purpose. It didn't work.

In a display of hesitation, Johnson skipped past Amadou Onana – Villa's best player on the day – in extra time. The Belgium international simply stuck one foot out and raised both hands in the air in a sign of a possible foul, palms facing out, indicating he had not made contact. In the meantime, Johnson had already raced away with the ball.

James Maddison scored Tottenham's fourth goal and Emery retreated to the bench. He stressed the importance of Villa remaining “emotionally balanced” after a second-half defeat, even if the performance and his substitutions seemed deeply out of character.

(Top photo: Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images)