Aston Villa host Ryan Mason’s Tottenham Hotspur this Saturday at Villa Park. Here’s the latest heading into this weekend’s pivotal fixture…
THE BUILD UP
It is sixth versus eighth in game week 36 of the Premier League as Unai Emery’s resurgent Aston Villa take on a chaotic Tottenham Hostpur. The fight for Europe is entering its finals stages and these two sides are right in the mix; both will be looking to claim all three points and better their chances at a place in next season’s Europa/ Conference League.
Villa somewhat scuppered their chances at a top seven finish last weekend, however, after falling to defeat against Midlands rivals Wolves. Toti Gomes’ early header was the difference-maker at Molineux as the away side struggled to break down Julen Lopetegui’s resilient and robust team. Emery’s men will look to bounce back on Saturday, with the help of a packed out Villa Park.
As for Spurs, they got the better of Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last time out, courtesy of Harry Kane’s first-half stoppage time header; a goal that put the 29-year-old up to second in the ranks of the Premier League’s all time top goalscorers. It was an important three points and a much needed confidence boost for the North-London side, having not won in the previous four games in the league.
When these sides last met at the beginning of the year, the Villans recorded a spectacular away victory in Emery’s fifth game in charge, thanks to Emiliano BuendΓa and Douglas Luiz’s second-half strikes. Can the Spanish boss replicate the New Years Day victory and complete a league double or will Ryan Mason’s Spurs pick up a first-in-nine away win and extend their advantage in the European places?
TEAM NEWS
ASTON VILLA
Defender Diego Carlos made his long-awaited return to football last weekend after featuring in the final half an hour of Aston Villa’s one-nil defeat to Wolves.
The Brazilian ruptured his Achilles tendon during his home debut against Everton in the second game of the 2022/23 season and has missed the last eight months of action as a result. The 30-year-old centre-half will hope to play a big part in the Villans’ remaining three games too, before looking to get a full Premier League campaign his belt.
Elsewhere, trio Boubacar Kamara, Leon Bailey and Philippe Coutinho returned to the match-day squad last week and will be available this Saturday after each spending some time on the sidelines through injury. Both Kamara and Bailey claimed some minutes at Molineux and are in contention for a start this weekend.
Defender Matty Cash is also back fit and will be in the squad to face Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. The full-back suffered a calf injury whilst on international duty with Poland in March but after ten days of training and weeks of rehabilitation is back among the first-team squad and eager to help lead his side to Europe.
Jed Steer is Aston Villa’s only absentee.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Tottenham club captain Hugo Lloris will miss this weekend’s clash with Aston Villa and the remainder of the Premier League season due to an injury picked up during his side’s 6-1 defeat to Newcastle United.
The 2018 World Cup winner may have played his final game for the Lilywhites, with rumours that the Frenchman will leave the club this summer. Former Saint Fraser Forster will take his place between the sticks this weekend.
Also missing for Spurs is midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur and defender Ryan Sessegnon. Bentancur has missed the previous fifteen games in all competitions due to a knee injury, while Sessegnon will miss the remainder of the term with a hamstring problem.
Centre-half ClΓ©ment Lenglet was substituted at the end of the previous fixture against Crystal Palace with a shoulder injury, but is expected to be ruled okay for this weekend.
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A BIT ON SPURS
Tottenham have endured a very mixed 2022/23 campaign and, despite a drastic decline in form in recent weeks, are still among the fight for a top six finish. The North-London side sit sixth on 57 points after 35 games played but have Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton breathing down their necks; the Seagulls are just two points behind with two games in hand on the 2019 UEFA Champions League runners-up.
Spurs began the season well with Antonio Conte in charge, winning five of their opening seven games in the league, but the form post-Christmas saw the Lilywhites drop out of the bottom four to as low as seventh place. Continued defeats and internal problems and disagreements led to Conte’s demise in March, before his assistant Cristian Stellini – who stood in temporarily – was let go after further poor performances just a month later.
Former Spurs and Hull City midfielder Ryan Mason now occupies the hot seat (on an interim basis) and will see out the rest of the season before a new boss is appointed over the summer. Julian Nagelsmann and Brendan Rodgers are among the candidates.
Problems defensively have impacted Spurs the most this season. Mason’s side have conceded a staggering 57 goals – only five teams have let in more across the division (Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Leeds United and Southampton). Offensively, Tottenham have been below-par too – bar star man Harry Kane who has notched 28 goals – with the likes of Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison all under-performing.
Away from the Premier League, Spurs have also struggled and crashed out of the quarter finals of the FA Cup to EFL Championship side Sheffield United, the UEFA Champions League round-of sixteen to AC Milan and exited the Carabao Cup early at the hands of Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest too.
It has been a real dismal campaign for Spurs, but nonetheless, Ryan Mason will hope his side can finish the term strongly with a result this weekend at Villa Park and in the two other remaining games against Brentford (H) and Leeds (A) to secure some form of European football next season.
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MY PREDICTED LINE-UP
Letβs take a look at my predicted line-up for this upcoming fixtureβ¦
Do you agree? Who makes your side? Share yours now and let’s discuss?
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