Aston Villa finally picked up their first win of the Premier League campaign by getting the better of Tottenham Hotspur in North London on Saturday afternoon.

First Villa goals from Johan Manzambi and Nicolas Jackson gave the away side a 2-0 lead before Emiliano Buendia thunderered in a strike from distance to make it 3-0.

Late goals from Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke were only consolation strikes for the home side, as the Villans rode it out to secure all three points with a 3-2 victory.

Villa paid £65m to sign Jackson from Chelsea and £59.5m to sign Manzambi from Freiburg to strengthen their attack during the summer transfer window, and they are starting to show why they were worth spending the big bucks on.

How Aston Villa got the better of Spurs

Unai Emery's team went into the game knowing that Spurs had not scored a goal in the Premier League this season and that they would come out on the front foot at home in the hope of getting their fans on their side.

Because of that, the Spanish head coach set his team up to sit back and soak up pressure early on in the game, as the Lilywhites missed several openings to take the lead.

Villa were willing to take the risk by sitting in and playing on the counter-attack, though, because they knew that they had the pace and power of Manzambi and Jackson on the counter.

The quality of their two big-money summer signings eventually paid off as the Switzerland international converted from close range just before half-time, before teeing up the ex-Chelsea striker to score the second goal of the game.

Teams can afford to soak up pressure and play on the break if they have the quality at the top end of the pitch to do so, and Villa got the better of Spurs because they had the quality to play that way.

Outshone Jackson & Manzambi: Aston Villa have their next Rogers

Whilst Jackson and Manzambi's goals played a crucial role in securing the win and making the tactic effective, neither of them were the best player on the pitch for the Villans.

Villa lost one of their most influential players in the summer when they sold Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for £117m, after he produced 28 goals and 24 assists in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 campaigns combined for the club.

He consistently made an impact on the matches at the top end of the pitch with goals and assists to win vital points for the team, and Emery may have found his next Rogers-level talent, but at the other end of the field.

The Villans paid £30m to sign Zion Suzuki from Parma to replace Emi Martinez in the summer window, and he has hit the ground running in the Premier League.

He outshone Manzambi and Jackson, despite their attacking contributions, against Spurs with a terrific performance between the sticks throughout the game in North London.

Suzuki made five saves, collected four crosses under pressure, and completed three punches away from danger before conceding two late goals that he could do very little about.

After four matches in the Premier League, the Japanese star is on the positive side of goals prevented, which is based on the xG of the shots against his goal, which speaks to the quality of his shot-stopping.

It was his shot-stopping that, essentially, provided Manzambi and Jackson with the platform that they needed to go and win the game for Villa, because he made several terrific early saves to prevent the home side from taking the lead.

Had he not made a string of brilliant stops in the first half, Villa could have gone 1-0 down and allowed the game to slip away. Instead, they held firm at 0-0 and that gave their attacking players the chance to go and make an impact.

Just as Rogers won games for Villa with goals and assists, Suzuki has the quality to win points for the Villans with saves, punches, and claims.

The Japanese stopper, who is also impressive with the ball at his feet and can handle taking the ball under pressure in his own box, has shown himself to be a complete goalkeeper.

He looks like an instant star in the Premier League for Villa and may go on to be a sought-after talent in the future if he continues to deliver performances like this, just as Rogers ended up earning a mega move after his performances for the club.