Janine Self, The Sun: The best English keeper in the Premiership did not put a boot or glove wrong here on Saturday.
And in the dying minutes of a match which Spurs should have won, Robbo pulled off a world-class save to deny Juan Pablo Angel the chance to make amends for his topsy-turvy afternoon — but that would have been rough justice on Tottenham.
Colombian striker Angel managed to MISS a penalty and SCORE an own goal in a bizarre 180 seconds.
Angel's bonce succeeded where Spurs' forwards failed and found a way past understudy keeper Taylor.
Spurs should have been behind when Calum Davenport was harshly adjudged to have brought down Gabriel Agbonlahor but Angel missed horribly.
Defoe, foiled on several occasions by the ex-Arsenal man, jokingly tried to claim the own goal afterwards.
He was rescued by skipper Gareth Barry.
Martin O'Neill's side could have been buried by half-time but their resilience, determination and character shone through. A bit like Paul Robinson.
Man-of-the-match: Jermaine Jenas
Mike Walters, Daily Mirror: Gareth Barry's wonderful equaliser rescued Villa while Paul Robinson returned as the safest pair of hands in the
For 70 minutes Robinson could have hung a hammock between his goalposts, but his stunning late save from Juan Pablo Angel ultimately earned Spurs a point and accolades from all sides.
Angel had earlier suffered more misfortune in a minute than Frank Spencer with a toolkit, shovelling his penalty dismally wide at one end before gifting Tottenham the lead with a headed own goal at the other.
Tottenham, vastly superior until they lost central defenders Michael Dawson (injured) and Calum Davenport (sent off after conceding the spot-kick), were backing up more nervously than a learner driver trying to reverse into a parking space when Robinson's reflexes saved the day.
Villa were second-best for long periods until Angel's extraordinary double fault galvanised them into exchanging pacifism for passion. And Barry supplied a sublime equaliser.
Man of the match: Barry
Peter Lansley, The Times: The manner in which Gareth Barry cut inside before smiting the wonderful goal merely served to affirm the versatility and technical excellence that, surely, merit an international call-up.
At least there was no embarrassment for Paul Robinson, the other captain, whose international pedigree was under scrutiny on Saturday, in conceding such a goal. The
Barry's effort also provided a degree of atonement for the 90 seconds “so crazy it was almost funny” from Juan Pablo Ángel who managed to miss a penalty, for which Calum Davenport was dismissed for felling Gabriel Agbonlahor, and then head into his own net. That looked likely to bring Martin Jol's team a win on their travels as Villa had lacked spark and width.
Against ten men, however, Ángel's mad moments ushered in a cavalry charge, with Barry leading the recovery. Having lost their two centre halves, Michael Dawson withdrawn with a facial injury, Spurs, who should have been ahead in the first period when
Robinson also showed his class afterwards by apologising to the media for not wishing to talk publicly.
Tottenham showed signs that they are losing the hangover accrued from missing out on a Champions League place.
David Lacey, The Guardian: Aston Villa's determination not to lose enabled them to survive against a better Tottenham team.
Not only did Juan Pablo Angel miss a penalty a quarter of an hour from the end, he headed a dim own-goal less than two minutes later.
Yet in spite of Barry's persistence and Villa's late rally Tottenham should have ended their barren start away from home with a victory. They dominated the first half and were having the better of the second even after Calum Davenport's harsh dismissal in the wake of the incident that produced the penalty. Inspired by the strong forward runs of Didier Zokora, an impeccable example of attacking midfield play, they carried the game to Villa from the outset.
Tottenham, however, still found it hard to convert their superiority into goals. Two fouls on Zokora led to free-kicks from Danny Murphy, each of which was flicked on to create scoring opportunities.
Neither Spurs centre-back finished the game. A dazed Dawson was forced off early in the second half and Davenport, laid out at the start of the match after catching a boot in the face, was adjudged by Martin Atkinson to have brought down Gabriel Agbonlahor when it looked more a matter of the Villa player losing his footing as he was about to shoot.
Angel's terrible penalty, wafted high and wide, alleviated Tottenham's sense of injustice and when the Colombian met a corner from Jermain Defoe by heading in at his own near post, again with no opponent closer than 10 yards, Spurs must have felt they had been awarded costs as well.
Barry thought differently and the majority of
Man of the match: Didier Zokora's surging runs from midfield gave Spurs the initiative from the start and consistently pressed Villa back.
Best moment: Not one moment, rather a series of initiatives from the
Phil Shaw, The Independent: Paul Robinson kicked as confidently as ever here in a typically assured display. It was going to take a special goal to beat him, and by providing it, Barry underlined the case for a recall by his country.
Villa started brightly but events took a strange turn as the contest entered its final quarter of an hour. Juan Pablo Angel fluffed a penalty and headed an own goal inside a 90-second spell.
Embarking on a slalom through Tottenham's midfield, Barry curled a shot beyond Robinson with his right foot. The cacophony prompted mounting pressure on a side depleted by Calum Davenport's dismissal following the incident that led to the penalty.
That was when Robinson came into his own.
Tottenham have finally begun to shake off the hangover after Arsenal passed them at the post last season to take the last Champions' League place. However, Michael Dawson and