McGinn was sent off with almost half an hour to go for taking out Destiny Udogie when Spurs were already 2-0 up through goals from James Maddison and Brennan Johnson three minutes apart early in the second half.
Heung-Min Son and substitute Timo Werner scored in stoppage-time to punish Villa and claim a statement win, which closes the gap on Unai Emery’s side and swings the goal difference in their favour.
Villa are now at the mercy of Spurs in the race for Champions League football as they have played a game more. McGinn will also miss key games against West Ham, Wolves and Man City through suspension.
Spurs did suffer a blow though when defender Micky van de Ven had to come off injured just before Maddison’s opener. They will be hoping he can return for the run-in as they look to build on their first back-to-back league wins of 2024.
Postecoglou played down the significance of the injury after the game, saying: “He doesn’t think it’s anything too significant. So disappointing for him because he was outstanding again up until that point.”
