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Head to Head
Aston Villa are presently only five points ahead of their rivals Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place in the Premier League. Their last victory on the road came against Fulham, where they were the winning side of a 3-1 result which left them with 17 points after eight games played. After qualifying for the Champions League last season, this has demonstrated that their stellar performances were not by chance.
Spurs' start to the season has been patchy; they have only won four of their first eight Premier League games. Though it only puts them four points outside of the Champions League spots at this early stage, their 4-1 victory against London rivals West Ham, and their triumphed win over holding champions Manchester City in the cup will have given them more confidence going into the weekend.
Both sides have emerged victorious in their prior meetings with each other. Spurs most recently defeated Villa 4-0 in March at Villa Park,, but prior to that Aston Villa won by a slim margin of 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in May 2023.
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Team News
Following their long-term knee injuries, Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara both survived until the final whistle in midweek. However, Unai Emery will likely sideline these two players in spite of the upcoming Champions League trip to Club Brugge.
Although Ollie Watkins, who was left out of the squad in midweek, will undoubtedly replace the Colombian at the forefront of the attack, Jhon Duran is still striking away at Emery's door for a Premier League start.
Tottenham's victory over Man City wasn't without cost, as Micky van de Ven broke down in tears when he was substituted out in the first half due to yet another hamstring injury. This will undoubtedly prevent him from playing this weekend and maybe more games in the future.
Christian Romero and Timo Werner didn’t complete the full 90 minutes midweek, but they should both be fit to play against Aston Villa. There is also high hope for captain Heung-Min Son to recover in time from a minor injury to his thigh to play on Sunday.
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Likely line-ups
Aston Villa (4-4-1-1)
Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, McGinn, Onana, Tielemans, Ramsey, Rogers, Watkins.
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-2-1)
Vicario, Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie, Kulusevski, Sarr, Maddison, Johnson, Solanke, Son.
Key Players
Aston Villa's clinical midfield has quickly come to rely heavily on Youri Tielemans. As a defensive midfielder for Unai Emery, the Belgium international, who has played in the Premier League with Leicester City in the past, is a serious threat. He excels at attracting players and seeing openings to pass the ball to players like Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey - and is also able to pull the trigger in front of goal himself, mainly from a long distance.
Tielemans has contributed three assists in nine Aston Villa appearances this season. In addition, he has a 49% shooting percentage and a 78% likelihood of generating opportunities. Since his first season at Villa, he has advanced significantly, and he is now looking as though he is back at his peak performances.
Tottenham Hotspur - Heung-Min Son
Son's absence from Tottenham Hotspur's starting lineup makes the midfield feel like it is seriously lacking something important. The number seven is prolifically known for his ability to contain the Spurs front line, but this season he has done more than simply just show up for the London team.
In the six games that he has played, Spurs captain Son has amassed some incredible figures despite actually missing three games. Ange Postecoglou's team has gained some crucial points in challenging games thanks to his three goals and two assists.
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Match Details
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa kicks off at 14:00 BST, on Sunday, 3 November
How To Watch:
Sky Sports Main Event
