Aston Villa look to starve off the threat of relegation as they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Villa Park on Super Sunday.
Villa can move four points clear of safety and into 15th position with a win, whilst Tottenham look to leapfrog Sheffield United into fifth which now could be a Champions League position.
Team news
Embed from Getty ImagesEzri Konsa is expected to be in contention for Aston Villa despite struggling with a thigh issue throughout their winter break.
Danny Drinkwater is also expected to feature after overcoming a calf injury which has sidelined him for the last fortnight.
Jed Steer (Achilles), Tom Heaton, Wesley (both knee), John McGinn (ankle) and Keinan Davis (thigh) are ruled out.
Tottenham will have Ben Davies back in contention after the fullback recovered from an ankle injury, which had sidelined him since late November.
Erik Lamela (groin) and Giovani Lo Celso (thigh) are available but Juan Foyth (groin), Moussa Sissoko (knee) and Harry Kane (hamstring) are ruled out.
Form
Aston Villa are unbeaten in three of their last five league matches (W2, D1, L2), whilst netting at least once in each of their last 12 home games in all competitions.
Tottenham enter this match unbeaten in their last three league games (W2, D1), although they have failed to win in any of their last five away trips in all competitions (D4, L1).
Stat Attack
- This is the 50th Premier League meeting between these teams.
- Aston Villa have won just one of their last nine league meetings against Tottenham (W1, L8).
- Tottenham have scored twice in each of their last three trips to Villa Park, whilst conceding just once, which came in a 2-1 win in November 2014.
- Villa have taken just two points from their last eight home clashes against Spurs (D2, L6).
- Four of Spurs’ last five league goals against Villa have come from the now injured Harry Kane, with Tanguy Ndombele their only other scorer in a 3-1 home win back in August on the opening weekend.
Prediction
Following the shock announcement of Manchester City’s European ban for the next two seasons, this is a huge game for Tottenham in terms of regaining that now crucial fifth place.
Aston Villa however are no pushovers at home given their goalscoring form so Spurs will need to be at their clinical best, given that both teams do leak goals a lot which should hopefully mean plenty of goals here.
I therefore wouldn’t be surprised by a score draw but Tottenham will of learned a valuable lesson in their comeback FA Cup replay win over Southampton, so am going for an away win here to end their recent wobbles.
Prediction: Aston Villa 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Result: Aston Villa 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur