Tottenham will host Aston Villa with both teams fighting for a Champions League spot. Before the international break, Ange Postecoglou’s team lost their previous two games. The Lions bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Fulham.
Preview (Tottenham Hotspur vs. Aston Villa)
Tottenham was by no means a favorite for their trip to Molineux a fortnight ago. They lost both their pride and several important players in their 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Chelsea. It ended their undefeated start to life under Postecoglou in the Premier League. After Brendan Johnson gave Spurs the lead in the third minute, the devastated Lilywhites defense, which included the ineffective Eric Dier and backup center-half Ben Davies, resolutely held on. However, Wolves substitute Pablo Sarabia led an incredible injury-time comeback. He beat Guglielmo Vicario at his near post and slipped past Mario Lemina in the seventh minute of added time.
Even though Gary O’Neil was wheeling away in celebration down the touchline. Postecoglou was able to look back on “plenty of positives” from his team’s second consecutive Premier League defeat. The loss could have been more devastating had Wolves been able to capitalize on their earlier opportunities. One of those advantages is that, with almost three-quarters of the season remaining, Tottenham is still in contention for a Champions League qualification spot. With 26 points, they are currently in fourth place in the standings. Their gap from the top spot is just two points. This Saturday lunchtime, the champions will play Liverpool.
Although former Gunners head coach Unai Emery stopped the Lilywhites in the capital just two weeks prior. Johnson’s early goal at Molineux at least guaranteed that Tottenham extend their Premier League scoring streak. It is now a whopping 24 matches since a 1-0 loss to recent foes Wolves in March. They haven’t failed to score in a home game in the top flight since January’s derby loss to Arsenal. Emery will have the last laugh if his Villa crop can beat the North London giants and move up into the top four, but even though he should put his disastrous time at Arsenal in the past behind him, the Spaniard can be sure to expect a cold reception at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Team News
It was confirmed that tricky playmaker James Maddison would miss the rest of the year due to the ankle injury he sustained against Chelsea, and Micky van de Ven’s severe hamstring issue will not be resolved until January. Maddison withdrew from the England squad for the final round of Euro 2024 qualifiers. The news that Richardson was undergoing surgery to address a persistent pelvic issue added to Tottenham’s list of surgical victims, which also included Ryan Sessegnon (thigh), Alfie Whiteman (ankle), Ivan Perisic (knee), and Manor Solomon (knee). Additionally, both Cristian Romero and Yves Bissouma have suspensions to fulfill.
The positive news is in order: Destiny Udogie is expected to play after missing Italy duty due to a muscle issue, while Rodrigo Bentancur will make his Premier League debut for the first time in over nine months thanks to Bissouma’s suspension. Regarding Villa, Emery was also unlucky with injuries during the international break, as McGinn hobbled off during Scotland’s most recent Euro 2024 qualifying match against Norway. However, there is hope that the captain of the Lions can recover in time to participate on Sunday.
Due to a shoulder injury, right-back Matty Cash was also unable to play for Poland; however, it was believed that his absence was more precautionary than anything else. Diego Carlos will also require evaluation after missing the match against Fulham due to a minor injury. Although Jacob Ramsey (ankle) should start training with the team after the international break, Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia are still recovering from lengthy knee injuries. At best, the England youth international will be a substitute player.
Tottenham 2 – 2 Aston Villa
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