Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur

Villa Park forms the backdrop for a ‘make or break’ Premier League showdown between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.

Perhaps distracted by this high-stakes contest, Aston Villa delivered a dismal performance in a 0-0 draw at Ajax in midweek Europa Conference League action. However, Unai Emery’s men have recently excelled in the Premier League, winning their last three matches by a combined score of 9-5 to extend their lead over fifth-placed Tottenham to five points. But having played a game more, they know the importance of completing their second consecutive league double over Spurs following a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture. However, Villa Park, once an unbreachable fortress, has collapsed twice in the last three top-flight games it hosted (W1), casting doubt on Villa’s bid to defy a dreadful run of seven defeats from their eight previous home matches against the London outfit in the Premier League (W1).

In the meantime, relieved of European duties after an abysmal 8th-place finish in 2022/23, Tottenham have had a week to prepare for this encounter after pulling off a 3-1 comeback against Crystal Palace last weekend. Leaving North London spells trouble for Ange Postecoglou’s side, considering they’ve drawn both Premier League away games in 2024 via an identical 2-2 scoreline. Those stalemates form part of an underwhelming run of one win from their last six league travels (D3, L2). Defensive frailties have plagued Spurs in that sequence, as they conceded 2+ goals in five of those six matches! More ominous is the recent trend that has seen Tottenham fall behind 1-0 in five of their last six top-flight outings! But emerging victorious from five out of nine league games after conceding the opener inspires confidence (D2, L2).