Tottenham made a statement to the entire Premier League on Sunday afternoon that they are coming for a top-four spot, as Ange Postecoglou’s men made one of the most impressive sides of the 2024/25 Champions League look like a youth team.
Spurs dominated Aston Villa 4-1, and the difference in class among both entire starting lineups in this one was staggering, even as Villa were tabbed as favorites coming into the match.
No player made a bigger difference for Tottenham than Dominic Solanke, as the experienced Premier League striker scored twice to help Spurs pull away from Unai Emery’s men.
It was another hard-working and well-rounded performance from Solanke, who was signed by Tottenham this past summer precisely because he is willing to work for the team defensively through pressing and can create chances for others.
The Harry Kane replacement, Solanke’s transfer to Tottenham was panned by several analysts, including myself, who felt that while Solanke was underrated and a great player for Bournemouth in 2023/24, his lack of sustained production made his 65 million pound transfer fee difficult to justify.
Instead, Solanke has proved us wrong and made a few Tottenham supporters – and the club itself – look quite smart in comparison. The 27-year-old now has four goals and an assist this season, which don’t even tell the full story of his profound impact on the Tottenham attack.
Solanke is averaging 2.7 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn, and he’s even averaging more than a tackle per match in both the Premier League and Europa League.
To wit, Solanke had two tackles in the win over Aston Villa, putting in a strong defensive effort from the front to set an example for the rest of the team, as Spurs coasted to victory 4-1.
Despite the criticism surrounding the fee and the fact that Solanke wasn’t anywhere near as big of a name as Kane, he has come in and performed consistently well for Spurs thus far, providing a tactical fit for Postecoglou that has been even better than expected.
