Tottenham were not punished for their defensive frailties against Leeds but Aston Villa are unlikely to be so forgiving.

Manager Harry Redknapp needs to shore up the left side of the team urgently, with Ashley Young, one of the most dangerous wide men in the Premier League, due at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

The recall of Wilson Palacios should plug some of the gaps that Leeds' Robert Snodgrass exploited last night, yet it is vital that Niko Kranjcar offers more support to left-back Gareth Bale when Young is allowed to receive possession and drive towards the Spurs by-line or their penalty area.

Spurs realised quickly last night that Defoe would have far too much pace for Richard Naylor and Lubomir Michalik, and deliberately played long passes behind the Leeds centre-backs to exploit this weakness.

Villa duo Richard Dunne and James Collins are in a different class to Naylor and Michalik, but with Defoe so sharp — and with two excellent long-range passers in David Bentley and Tom Huddlestone in the likely starting XI — it is a tactic worth using again as Spurs aim to secure victory against one of their principal rivals for a place in next season's Champions League.