Aston Villa V Tottenham Hotspur

Kick-off: Saturday 28th November – 17:30 GMT

Venue: Villa Park

TV Coverage: ESPN

Aston Villa

League Position: 5th

Recent Form: DDLWD

Martin O’Neill has asked his players to get tough in the brain as he feels his youthful squad still lacks the mental strength required to really compete at the highest level on a consistent basis. His objective for the season is simple, break into the top four and everyone at the club will reap the rewards. Their position of fifth and their points tally of 22 from a possible 39 means they are on course for a serious top four assault but will need to battle on gamely in the big encounters, and Saturday’s clash with nine-star Tottenham should provide everyone with a clear indication of just how serious Villa are this season.

We mustn’t disregard the fact that Villa have already shown up a few of the big boys already, beating both Liverpool (3-1), and Chelsea (2-1), both were stunning results in their own right. They gave Liverpool a good spanking at Anfield, one of the toughest venues on the Premiership circuit, while they had to claw back a one goal deficit against Chelsea to record their second successive victory over a ‘Top Four’ team.

However, against this years top four contenders, Villa have yet to get the better of any, drawing with both Man City (1-1) & Everton (1-1), although we suppose Everton are pretty much out of the running this season. Against City, Villa weren’t all that great, and it took an old City player to get on the score sheet and earn what was still a decent point. However, when it comes to these ‘Wannabe 4′ clashes, Villa need to start notching up the three points as the games do potential become six pointers, what with everyone so closely grouped.

At the moment, Villa are playing a chasing game with Spurs, despite being right behind them in the table. Villa are sat in fifth, a prominent position, but are three points adrift of Tottenham in fourth, the position they are desperate to get their hands on, so a win on Saturday is the only result that would lift them back into the top four. Even then, Villa would need to win big, which, considering Tottenham’s latest scoring spree, could be unlikely.

Villa have performed a whole lot better when playing in front of their home fans, although, God only knows why as it’s like a library at Villa Park at times. Their record at home stands at 4-1-1, with their only home defeat coming on the opening day of the season, perhaps when the players were too fresh and not battle hardened. It’s now been five home fixtures since Villa last tasted defeat, with four being victories, and Villa’s last two home outings ended in winning results – Chelsea (2-1) & Bolton (5-1).

Tottenham Hotspur

League Position: 4th

Recent Form: WLLWW

Tottenham fans will be on cloud nine this week(I’ve been dyeing to use that all week) after thumping Wigan Athletic 9-1 at White Hart Lane last Sunday. The venue may well be different and the opponents maybe a whole lot better but the objective is the same, to register all three points as they continue their surge up the table and into top four contention. For the time being, Tottenham are currently in one of the four spots everyone else wants to be in, whereas their opponents are hovering just outside so it’s down to Spurs to keep Villa at bay and possibly extend their advantage over a chasing Aston Villa. 

There is no getting away from how poor a side Wigan were on Sunday as they were nothing short of atrocious. However, we can’t take nothing away from Tottenham’s performance as they were superb from start to finish. With the exception of the Wigan goal, a dubious goal at that, Spurs were rarely troubled and virtually the entire game was spent in the Wigan half. The Spurs midfield dominated proceedings, with Huddlestone shipping out precise balls to both wingers, and then Aaron Lennon, who was lethal down the right, skinned his marker with ease, time and time again. The Wigan defence simply couldn’t handle the sheer pace and trickery of Lennon and it’s safe to say that is the best we’ve seen of Aaron Lennon to date. Hopefully he’ll push on with another stylish display against Villa on Saturday in front of the ESPN cameras. 

Jermaine Defoe did a bit of alright, too, scoring just the five goals. After 45 minutes without a goal, although not without plenty of wasted chances, Defoe found himself scoring goals for fun in the second half, tearing apart a fragile Wigan defence. His movement in combination with Aaron Lennon’s superb deliveries down the right was a delight to watch and those two could have a blossoming relationship forming.

Their stunning victory on Sunday was their second on the spin after they beat Sunderland 2-0 just before the break. However, their last away outing did end in misery when they went down 3-0 losers at Arsenal, so Harry Redknapp will expecting a much better display from his confident Spurs side at Villa Park, yet another tough venue to visit. On the road this season, Tottenham have an away record of 3-1-2, with all three of their away victories coming over teams near the very bottom. What’s more, The Tottenham defence still looks vulnerable and Gomes in the Spurs goal hasn’t kept a clean sheet on the road all season.

Tottenham’s attacking play last Sunday was a sheer delight to watch but we, amongst plenty others, still have reservations about their quality at the back. A big boost has been the return of Johnathan Woodgate but Spurs have recruited too many injury prone defenders to really enable a back four to gel. This has shown in their defensive record this season, especially when playing on the road. Wherever they may end up, Tottenham have never been afraid to attack, but this aggressive style of play leaves them exposed at the back and they’ve come unstuck on plenty of occasions thus far, and it could lead to their demise at Villa Park if they aren’t careful.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Aston Villa W: 3 Tottenham Hotspur W: 3 Draws: 4

This fixture is an even as they come in regards to recent encounters, although, an interesting trait from last season was that both sides managed to record away victories, with Villa winning 2-1 at White Hart Lane but falling to defeat by the same scoreline back at Villa Park.  

Villa’s recent record over Spurs at Villa Park isn’t the best, with Villa winning just one of the previous four matches against Spurs on home soil, that coming two seasons ago in a 2-1 win. 2-1 appears to be a popular scoreline it would seem.

Match Verdict:- Aston Villa to WIN – 2.55 Expekt

This is probably Villa’s biggest game of the season to date as a win would be huge considering it’s over a team who want to put their name into the top four equation, also. In the big games thus far, Villa have come up smelling roses, with victories over both Liverpool & Chelsea. Spurs, on the other hand, have only their opening day win over Liverpool to shout about, although, have suffered defeats at the hands of the remaining three top four in Arsenal, Chelsea & Manchester United. Spurs have been found wanting in the big games this season, whereas Aston Villa have come up trumps. A big game, one which should feature plenty of goalmouth action, but one we feel will go the way of the home side.

Match Odds:

Aston Villa – 2.55 Expekt

Draw – 3.40 Boylesports

Tottenham Hotspur – 3.00 SKyBet

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Draw/Aston Villa (Half-Time/Full-Time) – 6.00 WilliamHill