If Tottenham Hotspur hoped to put in the kind of stirring performance that might persuade Harry Kane that his future lies with them, then this was not it.

A final home match of the season, and maybe Kane’s last home game for Tottenham, ended in a deserved, disorganised defeat to a superior Aston Villa which leaves their chances of qualifying for Europe in danger.

Even the new, unwanted Europa Conference League may be beyond them.

Both of Villa’s goals resulted from errors – and it summed up a mistake-ridden campaign from Spurs, which is ending with their talisman and top-scorer Kane making it clear he wants to leave.

It took only a minute for the 10,000 fans to sing “Harry Kane, he’s one of our own” – and although there was another refrain of that later on, it was replaced by boos at what unfolded, and how the club has behaved.

“We want Levy out,” was chanted also, directed at chairman Daniel Levy, who wrote something of a mea culpa in the Spurs programme, admitting the club had lost its way.

Kane was below his best and, maybe, his future is weighing on his mind although, in saying that, he was not helped by the poverty of the performances around him. Spurs last league match is now away to Champions League chasing Leicester City.

It had all started so brightly for them, and it was an exceptional strike from Steven Bergwijn to put Spurs ahead after eight minutes. It also involved some exceptionally bad defending, with a clearance intercepted by Sergio Reguilon, and then Marvelous Nakamba’s poor control allowing Bergwijn to steal in. He held off John McGinn, striking a fierce rising shot into the top corner of the net.

Villa will have been even more angry when they were denied a penalty after Hugo Lloris clumsily slid into Ollie Watkins. After a VAR check, the spot-kick was not given.

Villa drew level after 20 minutes through an extraordinary own goal, with Nakamba’s cross being met by Reguilon just inside his own penalty area, who shanked a clearance high past Lloris. The stunned goalkeeper got a hand to it, but could not keep the ball out.

It got worse. Unfortunately, Reguilon was again involved as he twice messily tried to clear the ball, with the second effort rebounding off Bertrand Traore and into Watkins’ path.

Eric Dier was caught wrong-footed with Watkins easily holding him off and firing his shot low through Lloris’ legs on 39 minutes.

The boos soon began to get louder. Incredibly, it happened once more with Dier losing the ball, again to the tireless McGinn, with Traore picking out Watkins who was denied by Lloris.

Early in the second half it was Spurs being denied with Reguilon attempting to turn home Son Heung-min’s flick only for Ezri Konsa to deny him but send the ball to Bergwijn whose powerful shot was parried by Emiliano Martinez.

Spurs threat proved fleeting as Villa reasserted themselves, with the excellent McGinn running from half-way to pick out Traore, whose shot bounced a shot wide off Lloris’s right-hand post.

Soon after the forward tried to walk the ball into the net after working his way into the Spurs area.

The home fans chanted “Bale, Bale” even though Gareth Bale was not even warming up – before he eventually did.

Finally, Bale did come on and found Kane who, at last, had a chance and forced Martinez into a smart save at his near post.

Villa, though, should have settled any doubt when substitute Douglas Luiz – the replacement for Grealish who had heavy strapping and ice on his knee and shin as he sat watching the final minutes – broke down the left and crossed, with Traore miskicking and the ball running to Watkins, whose goal-bound shot was blocked by Dier.

In injury-time Villa’s 17-year-old substitute Carney Chukwuemeka struck the post with a low shot from the area’s edge. If he had scored it would have given Villa the margin of victory they deserved.

© Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2021

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]