Ghana's Thomas Partey makes Champions League debut for Villarreal in defeat to Tottenham

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey made his UEFA Champions League debut for Villarreal on Tuesday night, but his side slipped to a 1-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in London.

Partey, who joined Villarreal as a free agent from Arsenal in the summer, came off the bench in the 78th minute to replace Senegal international Pape Gueye. It was his fifth appearance for the Spanish side this season and his 68th in European competitions, including the Europa League and UEFA Super Cup.

Tottenham began their campaign with an early breakthrough as Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Júnior diverted Lucas Bergvall’s cross into his own net after just four minutes.

The visitors responded through Nicolas Pépé, who twice came close to equalising and also set up Tajon Buchanan, but the Canadian dragged his shot wide. Spurs thought they had a penalty just before half-time when Richarlison went down in the box, but a VAR review overturned the decision.

Villarreal created better chances after the restart, with Juan Foyth heading wide and Pépé flashing another effort just past the post. However, Tottenham held on for the victory, leaving the Yellow Submarine winless in 15 Champions League matches against English opposition.