Tottenham 4 Aston Villa 4:Tottenham planned last night as a celebration of their 125th anniversary, but instead of an evening of relaxed jubilation the Spurs fans were subjected to 90 minutes of gruelling drama as their team, having taken a 19th-minute lead, clawed their way back from a 4-1 deficit to equalise deep into stoppage time.
Pascal Chimbonda started the comeback after Jermain Defoe hit the post, Robbie Keane added a penalty after Darren Bent was fouled and finally Younes Kaboul completed the scoring.
Paul Robinson, whose errors almost cost Spurs the game, had more reason than most to celebrate.
The atmosphere portended a bright Tottenham opening but, by the time the interval approached, Dimitar Berbatov's second goal of the season and the carnival ambience were already a faint memory.
Unrest at half-time had replaced the optimism that greeted the preliminaries as Spurs fans, somewhat incredulously, reflected on Robinson's dreadful blunders and a third Villa goal, converted by Gabriel Agbonlahor, that appeared to have drained their belief.
Tottenham were stunned; Villa euphoric. Martin O'Neill's side arrived here without an away goal this season but three had been dispatched inside an absorbing 45 minutes. Villa had appeared threatening on the break but there was no sign of the drama to come, particularly after Berbatov, climbing unchallenged in the Villa area, headed Tom Huddlestone's corner past Scott Carson. Indeed the Villa keeper had already made fine stops from Berbatov and Didier Zokora.
Those moments of Tottenham hope were quickly forgotten, though, as Robinson made his first mistake, inexplicably failing to collect Gareth Barry's corner. The England goalkeeper was not challenged, making the catch appear routine. Embarrassingly, though, it dropped from his grasp, pinballing between Zokora and Martin Laursen before the Villa central defender pounced on the loose ball and lashed it home.
More misery was to follow for the Tottenham goalkeeper 11 minutes later. Barry's quick free-kick appeared to take Spurs by surprise, the Villa midfielder releasing Ashley Young. The winger crossed to the far post, where Zat Knight nodded back across goal, his header striking Laursen on the chest and rolling in between the hapless Robinson's legs as he stooped forlornly to try and gather.
The Tottenham keeper might also have expected to do better on Villa's third goal as Agbonlahor drilled a low right-footed shot across goal and into the far corner.
The booing at half-time was loud and utterly predictable.
The damage could have been worse inside two minutes of the restart, when Robinson could only push Young's whipped free-kick sideways rather than behind. Agbonlahor, using his searing pace, seized on the rebound, appearing to take the ball away from Robinson's despairing dive only to have his heels clipped by the Spurs keeper. To the amazement of O'Neill, throwing his arms aloft on the touchline, Mike Dean waved away the visitors' penalty appeals.
At last there was cause for Spurs fans to cheer as Martin Jol sacrificed Teemu Tainio and introduced Jermain Defoe to form a three-pronged attack. That was the plan but Villa, ruthless and rampant, had other ideas. Younes Kaboul's foul on Agbonlahor appeared precariously close to the penalty area and Craig Gardner propelled a low, 20-yard shot into the far corner. There now seemed no way back for Spurs, but there was plenty of drama still to come.
TOTTENHAM: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Bale, Lennon (Malbranque 86), Zokora, Huddlestone, Tainio (Defoe 54), Berbatov (Bent 73), Keane. Subs not used: Cerny, Rocha. Booked: Kaboul.
ASTON VILLA: Carson, Mellberg, Knight, Laursen, Bouma, Gardner (Petrov 73), Reo-Coker, Barry, Young, Moore (Harewood 66), Agbonlahor. Subs not used: Taylor, Davies, Osbourne. Booked: Reo-Coker, Gardner, Carson.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).
