Could Tottenham’s miserable start to the Premier League season be getting worse, as Aston Villa take a 1-0 lead into half-time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

Johan Manzambi struck in first-half stoppage time to give Aston Villa the advantage, leaving Tottenham facing another frustrating afternoon in front of goal.

The Swiss midfielder reacted quickest after a defensive error involving Andy Robertson, finishing from close range to give Villa a 1-0 lead just before the interval.

The goal was Manzambi’s first Premier League strike and came on his first league start for Aston Villa since joining the club in the summer.

Tottenham had controlled large periods of the opening half and created several opportunities, but they were unable to find a breakthrough.

Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki was called upon to make important saves, including efforts from Savinho and Archie Gray, as Spurs continued to struggle in front of goal.

The hosts’ inability to score has become one of the major stories of their difficult opening to the campaign. Tottenham had gone through their first four Premier League matches without scoring, and Manzambi’s strike means they have now extended that drought beyond six hours of league football.

Both Tottenham and Villa entered the match still searching for their first Premier League victory of the season, making the contest particularly important for Roberto De Zerbi and Unai Emery.

Tottenham made two changes from their previous league outing against Everton, with Pedro Porro and Sandro Tonali returning to the starting XI.

Villa, meanwhile, handed Manzambi a starting role alongside Nicolas Jackson as Emery looked for a way to end his side’s own difficult league run.

With the second half still to come, Tottenham need a response if they are to avoid another disappointing result and finally open their Premier League goals account.