Aston Villa suffered a heart-breaking Premier League defeat to Heung-Min Son-inspired Tottenham with Bjorn Engels going from hero to zero.
Bjorn Engels might have made two horrific mistakes in Aston Villa’s heartbreaking defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday but goalkeeper Pepe Reina insists the Belgian still produced a ‘brilliant’ defensive performance, while speaking to the club’s official website.
For the most part, Villa’s £9 million summer signing looked calm and assured in his first Premier League start since December, even scoring his maiden goal in English football with a second-half header.
But all anyone will remember are the errors which cost Dean Smith’s side a valuable result in their battle against the drop.
Engels cancelled out his goal by gifting Tottenham a penalty, clipping Steven Bergwijn’s ankle inside the area before Heung Min-Son slammed home at the second attempt. Worse was still to come, however.
With almost the last kick of the game, the former Rennes stopper miscontrolled the ball and inadvertently played a grateful Son through on the goal. The South Korean made no mistake and Engels was left devastated, sinking to his knees with his head in his hands.
Reina, however, was never going to add to the criticism.
“It happens, we all make mistakes. Engs has had a brilliant game but, unfortunately, it happens,” said a World Cup winner who is renowned for his positive attitude in the dressing room.
“We need to cheer him up because he’s been fantastic.”
Engels had fallen down the pecking order at Aston Villa after an injury-hit spell, with Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konza and Kortney Hause impressing in a new-look back-three in recent weeks. It remains to be seen whether Smith shares Reina’s confidence in a defender whose crucial, last-gasp mistake can probably be put down to a little rustiness.
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