Tottenham Hotspur vs. Aston Villa: Final score 2-0, a win is a win

The international break couldn't have come at a better time for Tottenham Hotspur, who were slaughtered at home by West Ham in their last game. While we can't exactly say that the break did wonders for Spurs, they were still better than Aston Villa on Sunday and earned a 2-0 away win.

Andros Townsend built off his performances in an England shirt in a man of the match worthy performance. He scored the winner on a bit of a fluke, but his goal certainly wasn't a mistake. Roberto Soldado added an insurance goal late, scoring his first in the Premier League from open play.

Townsend's opener came in the 31st minute off an attempted cross. From the right flank, he cut back onto his left foot and delivered an in-swinging ball towards the back post, looking for a header from Soldado or perhaps a late run from Gylfi Sigurdsson. Instead, it eluded everyone -- including Brad Guzan -- and bounced directly into the back of the net.

Aston Villa introduced Christian Benteke early in the second half, leading to a brief spell of dominance for the hosts and a couple of half chances for the Belgian international striker. Andre Villas-Boas' response was to bring Aaron Lennon off the bench, replacing Gylfi Sigurdsson, and that move turned out to be a positive one. Though Lennon was not directly involved in the goal, it came down his left flank, which was a bit more stable going in both directions after his introduction.

The chance was created off a scramble after a direct ball, though the last couple of passes leading up to the goal were impressive. Lewis Holtby found Paulinho on the edge of the box, and he quickly tapped the ball into Soldado's path. The Spaniard slowed himself up and placed a composed finish into the back of the net from inside the box, clinching a win for Spurs.