Villarreal spring upset

TOTTENHAM fans were treated to an exhibition of football in the first half of their clash with Villarreal at White Hart Lane. But unfortunately for them, it was the visitors who were dishing out the lessons, with former Manchester United striker Guiseppe Rossi at the heart of things with a magnificent hat-trick.

Rossi demonstrated sublime clinical finishing in front of goal with two expertly-taken goals midway through the first period, before being handed a hefty slice of luck for his third, a long range effort that deflected into the goal. The fourth arrived from substitute Marco Ruben, adding further salt to Tottenham's wounds.

The team nicknamed the Yellow Submarine were on a destroying mission in the first 45 minutes and they managed to sink Spurs with a display of intricate, free-flowing football.

Santi Cazorla, Villarreal's star player in midfield, fired just wide, following a curled effort from David Fuster that missed the far post by inches.

On 17 minutes Jermain Defoe was released down the right and cut in on to his left foot, only to go down under a Spanish challenge. But referee Kevin Friend waved away the England striker's appeals for a penalty.

Jermaine Jenas skewed a shot wide of the post from the edge of the area, and that was to be the midfielder's last piece of action, as he was taken off as a precaution, to be replaced by Danny Rose, who took up station next to Tom Huddlestone in the centre of midfield.

Just two minutes later, with 21 gone, Villarreal took the lead.

The Spaniards had just started to find their passing rhythm and they took the lead following their best move up to that point.

The midfielders stretched Tottenham by spreading the ball from the left to the right, then back to the centre, where Cazorla was able to find the run of Rossi, and the forward kept his cool to finish past Heurelho Gomes with a left footed shot that found the far corner of the net.

The visitors grew in stature after that point, knocking the ball around with consummate ease, leaving Spurs' players chasing shadows.

Ten minutes later and they had doubled their advantage.

Marcos Senna, former Spain midfield enforcer, threaded a ball through Tottenham's high line and it found its way through to Rossi, who bore down on Gomes, took his time, and produced a carbon copy finish into the bottom corner.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp would no doubt have been planning changes at the break, but he may have decided on several more than he hoped for.

The manager hauled off Defoe, Robbie Keane, Aaron Lennon, Alan Hutton, Kyle Naughton, Michael Dawson and Gomes and replaced them with Peter Crouch, Giovani Dos Santos, Gareth Bale, Kyle Walker, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Sebastien Bassong and David Button.

Villarreal also made changes, but it was the home side than came out of the traps in the second half quickest.

Bale fired a low cross to the back post where Walker blazed over, before Kranjcar blasted a shot into the roof of the net, only to be denied by the linesman's flag.

But Spurs did manage to haul themselves back into the game just a minute later, on 56. Crouch was able to break after the visitors lost possession in the middle of the pitch and he drew two defenders towards him, before releasing Dos Santos on the right. And the Mexican forward took one touch and coolly slotted the ball past the keeper.

The hosts began to impose themselves on the game, with Crouch coming close to equalising but his header was well held by the visiting keeper.

The raft of changes appeared to have done the trick, with Bale and Dos Santos both looking dangerous.

But, against the run of play, Villarreal re-established their two-goal cushion, and it was that man Rossi who completed his hat-trick.

The forward picked up the ball, carried it ten yards before deciding to try his luck from range. The shot was just about on target but it took a wicked deflection off Walker which wrong-footed Button.

The match had sprung to life, and Spurs went straight down the other end and almost reduced the deficit.

Dos Santos weaved his way between several defenders but the ball fell for Kranjcar, whose first time shot was excellently parried away.

The visitors then should have turned the scoreline into an embarrassment for the home side, but substitute Jefferson Montero somehow poked wide with the goal gaping after taking advantage of a poor throw-in.

Ruben also spurned a glorious chance, skying his shot after good work from Montero.

Dean Parrett was given a rare chance to impress when he was brought on for Huddlestone, while Spurs would have been grateful to see the back of Rossi, who was also replaced with 78 minutes on the clock.

The damage had already been done, though. And Ruben put added gloss onto the result when he prodded in from two yards after a pinpoint low cross from Borja Valero.