Aston Villa 2-4 Tottenham

Aston Villa Women were consigned to a fourth consecutive defeat on Saturday afternoon, losing 4-2 to Tottenham Hotspur.

Rachel Daly converted a fifth-minute penalty to send Villa into an early lead, but Martha Thomas netted an impressive hat-trick for the visitors.

Ashleigh Neville also scored in what became a one-sided victory for Spurs.

Carla Ward made three changes from the side that started last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal.

Jordan Nobbs returned to midfield alongside Lucy Staniforth and Laura Blindkilde Brown.

Ebony Salmon also came in for her first start since re-joining, and Adriana Leon was deployed on the opposite wing.

Villa wasted no time in drawing first blood.

After Leon was upended inside the area inside the opening five minutes, Daly calmly slotted the ball past Becky Spencer to give Villa the lead.

Carla Ward’s side were in the ascendency and nearly doubled their lead after 11 minutes when Spencer turned Salmon’s effort around the post.

Nobbs’ sweetly-struck volley from the ensuing corner fizzed just wide.

Villa continued to dominate proceedings but conceded after 33 minutes.

Rachel Corsie was caught in possession by Thomas, and her fellow Scotland international lobbed Daphne van Domselaar from long range to level the scores.

Jessica Naz then curled an effort just past van Domselaar’s post as the pendulum swung in Spurs’ favour.

Spurs made that momentum count in first-half stoppage time when Neville headed home from Naz at the back post.

Villa came out of half-time in search of a response and almost got back on level terms when Leon drew a save from Spencer.

Almost immediately after, Drew Spence forced a stop from van Domselaar but Spurs capitalised from the ensuing corner when Thomas slammed home her second of the afternoon.

Thomas completed her hat-trick soon after to all but end the game.

Parker nodded home her first Aston Villa goal in stoppage time, but it was merely a consolation on a dark day for the team.