Villa eager for three away wins over Spurs after EFL Cup exit.

2024-10-28

As Spurs aim to rebound in the Premier League after their EFL Cup triumph over Manchester City, they'll have to contend with a formidable Aston Villa side eager to extend their winning streak at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs claimed a narrow 2-1 victory over a hardly recognizable Manchester City side in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night. The Lilywhites were already two goals up inside half an hour until City responded just before the break. However, Spurs kept the Sky Blues out throughout the second half to secure a December 17 fixture against Manchester United in the EFL Cup quarterfinals.

"My last win is always my best win," Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said in a post-match interview, having seen his side end Manchester City’s unbeaten start to the season.

Heading back to the Premier League, Spurs will be looking to swiftly return to winning ways after handing Palace their first win of the season following a 1-0 loss to Oliver Glasner’s side. Meanwhile, defeats in two Premier League games [WWLWL] have left Spurs in 8th place, having accumulated 13 points [4W, 1D, 4L].

Although Spurs remain on the verge of losing consecutive games, with Villa having a relatively better season at the moment, Tottenham have lost three of their last four Premier League meetings with the visitors. Nevertheless, they will be looking at the result of their last meeting, which ended in a 4-0 win, as a source of inspiration.

A 4—3—3 with Solanke, Mikey Moore, and Brennan Johnson in attack is expected for the weekend’s clash. Heung Min-Son remains a doubt.

Aston Villa

Villa were not as fortunate as Spurs, exiting the EFL Cup after a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace, with goals from Eberechi Eze and Daichi Kamada. Unai Emery fielded a heavily rotated squad, making 10 changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Bournemouth in the previous weekend.

Emery stated, 'We started with [John] McGinn, [Boubacar] Kamara, [Leon] Bailey, Jaden [Philogene], Jhon Duran, and Emi Buendia. I don’t know if I can have some regrets,' reflecting on the EFL Cup exit. While four places above Spurs in the Premier League, Villa have secured only one victory in their last four games [WDDWD].

With just five points separating Villa from Spurs, the team aims to bounce back during their weekend trip to London. Their record against Spurs is promising, with three victories in their last four Premier League away games against them, including the last two under Unai Emery.

Emery might return to a 4-4-1-1 formation, bringing Ollie Watkins back to the starting lineup. This would follow their previous 4-2-3-1 setup with Jhon Durán, who scored against Palace, leading the line.