Analysis of Villa 1 Tottenham 1

Another top-four rival in town, another draw, another Villa performance which simultaneously showed their clear capabilities as well as some fundamental frailties in this latest top-four quest.

Martin O'Neill had admitted in the build-up that Spurs – along with City and Liverpool – were stronger favourites than his Villa team to triumph in this year's Champions League chase. On Saturday's evidence, he was right.

If Villa, ahead from the 10th minute via Gabby Agbonlahor's poacher's effort, shaded the first half – some would even disagree with that – then they most certainly played second fiddle after the break when it was the visitors who called the tune.

As disappointing as it was to get within 13 minutes of three points, Michael Dawson's equaliser came as no great surprise given the bombardment Villa had faced in the second period.

The fact O'Neill was content with the point while Spurs counterpart Harry Redknapp bemoaned his team's failure to clinch all three said much.

But if this Spurs side rejuvenated by Redknapp proved their Champions League credentials, what about Villa? Judging by their first-half performance, when they defended doggedly, stroked the ball around confidently and attacked with menace, the answer would be a resounding yes.

But a second-half showing which retained only their resolute rearguard action indicated a place among the also-rans appears a more likely outcome. Not for the first time this season they failed to make their dominance fully count and go on to score a killer second or third goal.

As previously the case, they struggled to retain possession as Spurs stepped up their attempts for an equaliser, finding themselves pegged back deep into their own territory.

It was like the visit of City on October 5 all over again. Then they led through an early Richard Dunne goal, played superbly in the first half only to fail to add to their advantage before coming under pressure in the second and having their resistance eventually broken by a Craig Bellamy goal.

Saturday played out exactly the same way and, frustratingly, those are not the only occasions Villa have allowed leads to slip this season – it happened at Blackburn and Wolves too.

While their league position is perfectly satisfactory at this stage, having taken maximum points from their games against the big four to date they could and perhaps should find themselves in an even stronger position.

They are in sixth, behind Liverpool on goal difference. O'Neill would have surely settled for a near identical start to the established top four club in August but given the Reds' recent miserable run in many ways they've got off the hook.

In Villa's last six games they have won one, lost one and drawn four. For those with the glass half full that is one defeat in six, for the half-empty sorts it's one win in six. Either way, it's not enough victories and that will have to change soon if this campaign's bid to break the big four's monopoly is to have a happier ending.

Next weekend's home game to Hull provides a big chance and particularly pleasing for O'Neill will be the form of his strikers in their last two Villa Park outings. Gabby Agbonlahor, in particular, has been one of the biggest pluses of the campaign to date.

Not only is he physically stronger, the Brummie hitman's all-round game has come on in leaps and bounds and there was something hugely satisfying about the nature of his eighth goal of the campaign.

Villa could count themselves unfortunate that referee Phil Dowd failed to spot the elbow used by Benoit Assou-Ekotto to keep out Carlos Cuellar's near-post header from James Milner's corner but, fortunately, justice prevailed as Agbonlahor shrugged off Dawson to scramble home.

Pace and, more recently, power are traits the forward could lay genuine claim to but less so poaching – and this goal was just that. Opposition fox-in-the-box Jermain Defoe would have been proud.

The hitman, on target five times against Wigan in Spurs' 9-1 triumph the previous week, looked all but certain to level things up after 21 minutes when Tom Huddlestone's scuffed free-kick ricocheted into his path inside the six-yard area only for goalkeeper Brad Friedel to save superbly.

But those efforts were outdone by the excellent Cuellar who was positioned perfectly on the line to deny Dawson from the rebound. Age continues to show no sign of catching up with Friedel, who made a string of stunning stops to keep the visitors at bay.

A looping effort from Huddlestone threatened to creep under the Villa crossbar but the 38-year-old was alert to the danger, tipping over his bar. But the save made early in the second half was even better, pushing away a sweetly struck Niko Kranjcar 20-yard volley at full extension after ex-Villan Peter Crouch's knock-down.

Villa were unable to find a foothold in the game and found themselves on the back foot for almost the entire second half. Their play lacked the fluency of the opening 45 minutes but they continued to defend heroically – Luke Young and Habib Beye both making superb last-ditch blocks to maintain their lead.

You began to wonder whether it was Spurs' day when Defoe rightly had his goal chalked off for handball in the 74th minute. But within three minutes the visitors' goal finally arrived, albeit via an unlikely source.

Dawson, just inside the box, did brilliantly to control a Dunne clearance with his chest but the emphatic volley into the roof of the net which followed was even better – leaving Friedel with no chance.

Villa's players and the crowd appealed it hit Dawson's forearm first but it would have been incredibly harsh on the Spurs skipper.

Such was Spurs' second-half dominance, Villa had a job on their hands holding out for a point but they came within a whisker of snatching all three in added time when substitute Emile Heskey's glancing header flashed agonisingly beyond the post.

Just as close was a drilled Defoe effort seconds before the whistle, but this time it was not to be his day.

By Brendan McLoughlin