Aston Villa vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Son Heung-min inspires big win in top-four race
Unai Emery’s Villa take on Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs in a clash for fourth
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Your support makes all the difference.Tottenham Hotspur inflicted a chastening 4-0 home defeat on 10-man Aston Villa as Ange Postecoglou’s men emphatically won this key battle in the race for Champions League qualification.
Sunday’s crunch clash between fourth and fifth was described in the build-up by Villa skipper John McGinn as “the most important game in the club’s recent history”.
Unai Emery’s men had the chance to move eight points clear of Spurs in the final guaranteed Champions League spot, but instead the hosts’ captain saw red in an embarrassing second-half collapse. Follow all the reaction below plus get the latest odds and tips for the match right here:
Team News
Here’s how the two sides line up this afternoon.
ASTON VILLA XI: Martinez; Konsa, Lenglet, Torres; Digne, Cash, McGinn, Douglas Luiz; Bailey, Tielemans; Watkins.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Kulusevski, Son, Johnson.
A reminder of the teams’ positions
Before the teams are released, a reminder of each side’s league position.
Villa sit in fourth – in the last Champions League qualification place – while Spurs sit five points behind them in fifth.
The home side have 55 points and Spurs have 50, though the North London side have a game in hand. Both sides have a comfortable lead on Manchester United and West Ham, who are in sixth and seventh on 47 and 42 points respectively.
Spurs’ next three games are against Fulham, Luton and West Ham, while Villa face West Ham, Wolves and Manchester City.
Odds and predictions
Villa are favourites for the game with the bookies, with a home win offered at 31/20. A draw is offered at 3/1, while an away win is at 8/5.
Villa are also favoured in the top four race, priced at 4/5 compared to Spurs’ 11/10.
Aston Villa vs Tottenham predictions: Premier League betting tips, odds and free bets
Aston Villa host Tottenham in a crucial showdown in the battle to finish in the top four in the Premier League
How the teams fare head-to-head
Villa have beaten Spurs in three successive Premier League meetings for the first time since between 1994 and 1996. Villa won home and away last season, and won 2-1 away in November 2023, with goals from Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins.
Spurs will be hoping to avoid back-to-back away league defeats against Villa for the first time since 2004.
One particularly pertinent question for these two teams regards how many places the Premier League will receive for Champions League qualification.
Currently, the top four sides all qualify for Europe’s premiere cup competition – though fourth placed has to win a play-off round – and it has been this way for several years.
However, with the Champions League being expanded to 36 teams from next year, two of the extra four places will be awarded to countries whose teams perform best in this season’s European competitions.
England currently sits third in the race, behind Italy and Germany, which would mean Serie A and the Bundesliga receive a fifth Champions League place next season.
Premier League’s hopes of gaining extra Champions League spot dealt blow
Italy and Germany currently lead the way ahead of the new-look Champions League
How the teams are playing
The home side have won four and lost one of their last five league games, that loss coming at home against Manchester United. Villa drew 0-0 away at Ajax in midweek in the first leg of their Europa Conference League round of 16. They sit on 55 points, five ahead of Spurs.
Spurs have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five games. Postecoglou’s side drew away at Everton in early February, and lost 2-1 to Wolves on 17 February. They have a game in hand on Villa, and two games in hand on Manchester United, who sit below them on 47 points.
Postecoglou says Champions League qualification not a ‘golden ticket’
While revenge might not be on Postecoglou’s mind, Champions League qualification certainly will be.
Spurs are five points behind fourth-placed Villa ahead of Sunday’s game, but their manager has emphasised that qualification alone is “not a Willy Wonka golden ticket”.
“It just gets you a year in the Champions League, but if you don’t build on that or grow from that, it is meaningless, I think anyway, because we’re not in it for participation, we’re in it to win things.
“Yes, if we make Champions League this year it means we’ve progressed from last year, but has our football progressed?”
Ange Postecoglou says Champions League qualification not a ‘golden ticket’
Spurs are five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa ahead of Sunday’s meeting.
Ange Postecoglou not out for revenge as Spurs prepare for Villa clash
Ange Postecoglou will not entertain talk of revenge when Tottenham visit Aston Villa on Sunday.
Spurs travel to Villa Park for what will be a crucial match in the battle for Champions League qualification with the hosts currently occupying fourth spot in the Premier League.
Villa have also won the last three meetings with Tottenham, but the narrative of revenge surrounds an incident from the previous clash on November 25.
Ange Postecoglou not out for revenge as Spurs prepare for Villa clash
There was needle between the teams in November after Matty Cash injured Spurs midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.
Aston Villa vs Tottenham predicted line-ups
Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Lenglet, Moreno; Bailey, McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Ramsey; Tielemans, Watkins
Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Maddison, Werner; Son
Aston Villa vs Tottenham early team news
Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey is a doubt and will be assessed after missing their Europa Conference League game against Ajax on Thursday over a foot issue. Pau Torres and John McGinn are available while Clement Lenglet could face his former club.
Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia and Boubacar Kamara remain sidelined.
Tottenham are boosted by the return of Pedro Porro who missed the last two matches through injury. Richarlison (knee), Fraser Forster (foot fracture), Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring) and Manor Solomon remain out.
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