Tottenham vs Aston Villa Match Preview
Aiming for a fifth straight win in all competitions and a third straight triumph over Tottenham, Aston Villa travel to north London on Sunday to face a Spurs side in fine domestic form under Thomas Frank.
Both teams go into this Premier League clash buoyed by narrow wins before the international break – Villa beat Burnley 2-1, while Tottenham got the same result at Leeds.
Tottenham’s resurgence under Frank continues to gather pace. Third after seven league matches, Spurs have gone seven matches without defeat in all competitions, with confidence growing from week to week.
Their victory at Elland Road was inspired by Mohammed Kudus, who set up Mathys Tel before scoring himself to seal the points.
Victory on Sunday could even see Spurs finish the weekend at the top of the table, depending on results elsewhere.
However, Frank’s focus will remain on overcoming a personal obstacle: he has faced Unai Emery five times in the Premier League and is yet to beat the Spaniard.
There is still work to be done at home. Tottenham have won just three of their last 17 league matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, including reverses against Wolves and Burnley earlier this season.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, are on a roll. Emery’s side have had a four-game winning streak in all competitions, including against Bologna, Fulham, Feyenoord and most recently Burnley.
Team news for Tottenham vs Aston Villa
Tottenham have been boosted by the return of Randal Kolo Muani, who played 45 minutes of a friendly against Watford and is expected to feature after recovering from a thigh problem. Kota Takai is also close to returning from a foot injury.
However, Yves Bissouma and Ben Davies are new additions to the injured list. Bissouma was stretchered off during Mali’s World Cup qualifier, while Davies suffered a muscle problem while on international duty with Wales.
They join Dominic Solanke (ankle), James Maddison (ACL), Dejan Kulusevski (knee) and Radu Dragusin (ACL) on the sidelines, although Dragusin is nearing the final stage of his recovery.
For Villa, there was a scare when Ollie Watkins pulled out of the England squad with a knee problem, but Emery confirmed the striker would be fit for Sunday’s clash.
Tyrone Mings (ankle), Jadon Sancho (illness), Emiliano Buendia (head) and Andres Garcia (unspecified) could all return to contention, although Youri Tielemans remains out with a calf problem.
Morgan Rogers will look to continue his fine creativity, having recorded assists in back-to-back league games, while Malen and Watkins will lead Villa’s attacking threat.
Expected line-ups for Tottenham vs Aston Villa
Tottenham: By proxy; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kudus, Simons, Tel.; Odobert
Villa Aston: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Onana; Malen, McGinn, Rogers; Watkins
How to watch Tottenham vs Aston Villa: TV channel, online streaming
Sunday’s match kicks off at 2 p.m. BST. Fans in the UK can watch live coverage of the Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with streaming available via Sky Go.
International viewers can stream the match via Premier League Pass or Peacock (US).
Tottenham vs Aston Villa match statistics
- Tottenham just won 3 of their last 17 league matches at home
- Aston Villa is unbeaten in 10 Premier League matches after the international breaks (8 wins, 2 draws)
- Unai Emery is 5-0 undefeated against Thomas Frank in the first league
- Spurs scored 13 goals in 7.5 xGthe most efficient offense in the league
- Donyell Malen 4 goals in his last 3 appearances for Villa
Prediction
The last time Tottenham and Aston Villa shared the spoils in a Premier League match was in May 2012, under the management of Harry Redknapp and Alex McLeish. Since then, every encounter has produced a winner.
This time, however, the balance between fitness and fitness points to a dead end. Villa’s confidence is growing under Emery, while Spurs remain difficult to beat under Frank. Expect a hotly contested affair between two in-form teams.
Prediction: Tottenham 2-2 Aston Villa
