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VILLA PROGRESS: EMI BUENDIA AND MORGAN ROGERS FIRE ASTON VILLA PAST TOTTENHAM INTO THE FOURTH ROUND
Aston Villa dump Tottenham out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 win. Goals from Buendia and Rogers deepen the gloom for Thomas Frank.
Aston Villa edged out Tottenham 2-1 in the FA Cup’s third round, keeping their hot streak alive across all competitions.
Villa wasted no time. Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers each finished off some slick team moves in the first half, putting them two up before Spurs could settle in.
Tottenham needed a bit of that classic cup magic after the break. Ten minutes in, Wilson Odobert gave them hope—he broke free and buried his chance, waking up the home crowd.
Spurs pushed, searching for an equaliser, but Villa kept their cool. They held on for their fourth straight win over Tottenham and moved one step closer to bettering last year’s FA Cup run, when they reached the semis.
Tottenham shook things up after their late loss to Bournemouth, swapping in five new faces: Kevin Danso, Ben Davies, Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert, and Richarlison. Villa made six changes themselves from their last match at Crystal Palace—Marco Bizot, Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen, Lamare Bogarde, Emi Buendia, and Donyell Malen all slotted in.
The game started scrappily. Villa lost Boubacar Kamara early to injury, and Youri Tielemans—who knows a thing or two about winning the FA Cup—came on.
The opening 20 minutes saw a few hopeful shots from a distance, but not much else. Then Torres started a move from deep. Four passes later, Villa sliced right through the Spurs' defence. Malen drove to the edge of the box, drew defenders in, and slipped the ball left to Buendia. With all the time he needed, Buendia smashed it into the roof of the net.
The villa wasn’t done. Matty Cash let fly from outside the box, and as the half went on, Villa tightened their grip in midfield, especially through Bogarde and John McGinn.
Tottenham showed a bit of life near halftime. Danso sent a looping header over from a corner, and Xavi Simons burst through the middle, setting up Randal Kolo Muani. Muani finished, but the flag was up—offside.
Right before the break, Villa struck again. They pressed high, forced a mistake, and built another classy team goal. Malen slid a pass into the box for Buendia, but instead of shooting, Buendia backheeled to Rogers. Rogers sidestepped three defenders and finished coolly into the corner with his weaker foot.
After halftime, Spurs looked sharper. Simons tested Bizot from range, and moments later, Kolo Muani battled for the ball, broke forward, and set up Odobert, who slotted home and raised the volume in the stadium.
Spurs kept pressing. Simons forced another save, and suddenly Tottenham owned the midfield, forcing Villa into desperate blocks inside their own box.
But Villa weathered the storm. They regrouped, strung together some sharp passes down the right, and Cash found Buendia near the penalty spot. His shot took a deflection, and Pedro Porro had to clear off the line.
Tottenham looked like they scored when Simons rounded Bizot and finished, but again, he’d gone too early—offside.
Spurs threw on Dominic Solanke, finally back from a long layoff. Villa shored up their defence, determined to see it out. In the end, the Claret and Blues did enough. They’re through to the next round.
VICTOR OSIMHEN EYEING TO BREAK NIGERIA’S GOAL RECORD IN THE AFCON SEMI-FINAL?
After netting his 35th international goal against Algeria, Osimhen eyes Yekini's 37-goal milestone. Can he do it against Morocco?
Victor Osimhen isn’t shy about his respect for Rasheed Yekini. Even as he keeps racking up goals for the Super Eagles, Osimhen calls the late striker Nigeria’s greatest—no question.
After helping Nigeria knock out Algeria 2–0 in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals at the Marrakech Stadium—scoring once and setting up another—Osimhen moved even closer to Yekini’s old goal record. Still, he brushed off any talk about chasing records.
When reporters asked about the pressure of breaking Yekini’s mark, Osimhen shook his head. “No, not at all,” he said. “I’ve said this over and over—whether I reach his record or pass it, it doesn’t matter. Yekini will always be the best striker the Super Eagles ever had.”
Osimhen talked about how guys like Odion Ighalo inspired him, too, but he made it clear that it doesn’t take anything away from Yekini’s place in history. “I’m just giving my best. It feels amazing to be part of the Super Eagles’ story, but my real goal is to win something big for Nigeria. With my teammates behind me, I know I’m on the right track.”
Even after his big game against Algeria, Osimhen insisted the win belonged to the whole team. “First off, I want to congratulate everyone for their performance against a strong Algerian team. I just try to do my job—fight for the team, score, and assist. I’m glad it all came together for me on Saturday, but I don’t want to take all the credit. This was about the entire team. Everyone deserves praise.”
This tournament has been a different story compared to the last AFCON, where Osimhen only scored once, and Nigeria finished second. Now, he already has four goals in five games. What’s changed? Osimhen says he’s grown, plain and simple. “I always look at my mistakes and try to get better. I feel way more confident now, thanks to my teammates. For me, it’s not just about goals or assists—it’s about winning something with this team. I think we’re heading in the right direction, but it’s a tough road. I’ve improved a lot since the last AFCON, as a player and as a person.”
Next up, Nigeria faces Morocco in the semi-final on Wednesday at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. Osimhen will be looking to score again—and maybe grab that Golden Boot along the way.
OPINION: VLADIMIR PETKOVIC IS RIGHT—ALGERIA WERE PHYSICALLY OUTCLASSED BY A SUPERIOR NIGERIA SQUAD
Vladimir Petkovic quotes, Riyad Mahrez reaction, Nigeria vs Morocco semi-final, AFCON 2026 news.
Algeria’s coach, Vladimir Petković, didn’t sugarcoat it—Nigeria was just stronger everywhere on the pitch. After losing their quarter-final in Morocco, Algeria bowed out of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Victor Osimhen made the difference, scoring in both halves and setting up Akor Adams for the second goal. Algeria, unbeaten until this point, just couldn’t keep up with the Super Eagles.
Algeria actually started the tournament in style. They cruised past Sudan 3-0, edged Burkina Faso 1-0, and topped their group with a 3-1 win over Equatorial Guinea. In the Round of 16, they squeezed past DR Congo 1-0 to reach the last eight. But against Nigeria, they just couldn’t break down a tough, organised defence. They looked flat up front and never really threatened.
Petković gave credit where it was due. “Nigeria deserved the win,” he said. “They played better than us. We couldn’t find our rhythm or concentration. I won’t get lost in the details—Nigeria was just better. We missed a lot. We wanted to control things, but they shut us down. Their individual talent showed, and physically, we were a step behind. We tried to rally after halftime, but our attack couldn’t get going.”
He admitted his players were gutted. “They did well in this tournament. The journey’s over; another one is coming. We have to hold our heads high.”
Winger Riyad Mahrez felt the same. “That’s football—they were better, and that’s the reality. We have to keep working and move forward. We were slow in our positioning, and maybe we lacked balance. Nigeria was strong, and we couldn’t keep the ball long enough to trouble them. We did everything we could, but sometimes you just face a stronger team.”
Asked about the refereeing, Mahrez didn’t blame the loss on it but was clearly frustrated. “Everyone saw what happened. The referee was quick to book us but not them. These little things matter in high-level football, but that’s the game.”
Now, Nigeria heads to their 16th AFCON semi-final, where they’ll play tournament hosts Morocco. The Atlas Lions advanced after a 2-0 win over Cameroon. That semi-final kicks off on Wednesday at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
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