Tottenham will host Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, looking to continue their impressive start to the season.

Tottenham Hotspur are third in the Premier League table, and they have lost just once in seven League matches ahead of the game vs Aston Villa this weekend. The hosts will look to pick up another victory here.

However, Spurs have a disappointing record against Aston Villa, with just two wins from the last six meetings. So, Thomas Frank’s men will look to make amends here and grind out all three points. Meanwhile, Aston Villa managed to bounce back after a disastrous start to the season.

Unai Emery’s men have now picked up four wins in a row in all competitions, and they will fancy their chances against Tottenham here. They will look to continue their impressive head-to-head record against the London club and pick up an away win.

It will be a huge boost to Aston Villa’s morale if they manage to get the job done against Tottenham this weekend. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Tottenham Hotspur

The hosts have several injury problems here. Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, and Dominic Solanke are all long-term absentees. Tottenham Hotspur will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Aston Villa, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal.

Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and contribute in the final third as well. Meanwhile, Cristian Romero will form the central defensive partnership alongside Micky van de Ven.

As for the midfield unit, Joao Palhinha will add defensive cover and physicality to the side alongside Archie Gray from the double pivot. Xavi Simons will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack.

The Dutch playmaker will also look to open up opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net. Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert will add pace, flair, and unpredictability from the flanks. Finally, Richarlison will lead the line for Tottenham vs Aston Villa this weekend.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Gray; Kudus, Simons, Odobert; Richarlison

Aston Villa

Youri Tielemans is likely to be the only absentee here with a calf injury. Apart from that, Unai Emery has a fully fit squad to choose from this weekend. Aston Villa will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Tottenham Hotspur, with Emiliano Martinez in goal.

Matty Cash and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Spurs on the break. Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa will pair up alongside Tyrone Mings at the heart of the defence.

As for the midfield unit, Boubacar Kamara and John McGinn will add defensive cover and drive in the middle of the park. Harvey Elliott will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack.

Morgan Rogers and Jadon Sancho will start on the flanks. They will look to create goalscoring opportunities and add unpredictability in the final third. Finally, Ollie Watkins will spearhead the Aston Villa attack vs Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne, Kamara, McGinn, Elliott, Rogers, Sancho, Watkins

Key Stats

• Aston Villa have picked up four wins from their last four matches in all competitions.
• Aston Villa have picked up four wins from their last six matches against Tottenham.
• The last six meetings between these two teams have produced 20 goals.
• Four of the last six matches between these two teams have seen both sides get on the score sheet.
• Tottenham are unbeaten in six of the last seven Premier League matches.

Player to Watch

Joao Palhinha

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The Portuguese international has been outstanding since joining Tottenham, and he is our key player to watch out for. Palhinha has not only helped Tottenham tighten up at the back, but he has also helped them going forward as well. The experienced midfielder has scored some important goals for the team, and he will look to make a defining impact here.

Matches between these two teams are often packed with goals, with the last six producing 20 goals. Palhinha could help nullify the attacking threat from Aston Villa and allow the creative Tottenham players to operate with more freedom. The home team will need him to perform at a high level if they want to grind out all three points.

Prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Aston Villa

Both teams will be fighting for a victory here, and this will be a close contest. Neither side will want to sit back and defend. Both managers are tactically astute, and this will be a cracking contest between two in-form teams.

Tottenham and Aston Villa are likely to get on the score sheet, but the home team has more quality and depth at their disposal. They should be able to edge this contest. A narrow home win is on the cards for Tottenham. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Thomas Frank and his charges.