H-T Tottenham 1-1 Aston Villa: Van der Vaart cancels out Albrighton opener

Rafael van der Vaart scored deep into stoppage-time as Tottenham went into the break level with Aston Villa in today's Barclays Premier League game at White Hart Lane.

Marc Albrighton's first professional goal gave Villa a 16th-minute lead, the midfielder sliding home Emile Heskey's low cross after the striker capitalised on some poor defending by Sebastien Bassong.

Roman Pavyluchenko missed two chances to score for Spurs and saw a penalty appeal turned down before Van der Vaart headed home in the third minute of injury-time.

Tom Huddlestone looked set to start as a makeshift centre-half. Midfielder Huddlestone was named captain in the absence of Ledley King, who was replaced by Jermaine Jenas in the only change from Wednesday night's Champions League thrashing of FC Twente.

Villa boss Gerard Houllier also made a single alteration at the back after last weekend's win at Wolves, replacing Carlos Cuellar with the fit-again Richard Dunne.

Spurs' centre-back partnership of Huddlestone and Sebastien Bassong was their 10th in 12 games this injury-blighted season.

Even with King available on Wednesday night, they looked too open for comfort at times and today's line-up appeared even more attack-minded as they attempted to avoid a European hangover.

But history was on their side in this fixture, with Villa - who had won both of Houllier's games in charge - claiming all three points only once in their last 10 visits to White Hart Lane.

And they should have fallen behind inside five minutes today when Luka Modric's left-wing cross was nodded over by Roman Pavlyuchenko.

But Villa began to take control of the game and after a couple of half-hearted penalty appeals, they went ahead in the 16th minute.

Terrible defending from Bassong saw him robbed by Emile Heskey down the right and the revitalised former England striker sprinted along the byline before crossing for Marc Albrighton to slide home his first professional goal.

Spurs screamed for a penalty themselves 22 minutes in when Pavlyuchenko's shot hit Dunne's hand but it was not intentional and Alan Hutton sent the follow-up into the side-netting.

Ashley Young was needlessly booked for deliberate handball just before the half-hour mark.

Villa were defending well and wasted a good three-on-three on the break but they suffered a 35th-minute blow when lone front man Heskey limped off, to be replaced by John Carew.

Pavluchenko wasted another chance to score six minutes from the break, hooking Gareth Bale's excellent low cross wide from six yards.

Carew blazed Stewart Downing's low cross over from 20 yards and Young fired a free-kick over from similar range.

Brad Friedel was almost caught out by Rafael van der Vaart's late effort, Albrighton was cautioned for a foul on Hutton and Young sent a shot on the turn straight at Heurelho Gomes.

But Van der Vaart levelled three minutes into injury-time when he climbed above Dunne to nod home after Peter Crouch had headed Pavyluchenko's ball back across goal.