Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa had a promising start to the season and were considered as potential title contenders. However, their performance has declined since then. Nevertheless, both teams are still in contention for a spot in the Champions League. With managers Unai Emery and Ange Postecoglou leading their respective teams, this upcoming match could be crucial in determining which team finishes fourth.
Analyzing the Reverse Fixture
Tottenham vs Aston Villa
The reverse fixture was one of the dents in Postecoglou’s Spurs career as his side lost out 2-1 at home. Despite significant positive numbers in the game wrt. Expected Goals and the output Quality (xGOT), Aston Villa weren’t far off and resulted in a game where the better team that finished well won.
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At that time, Villa under Emery had already discovered the capability to shift between a well-drilled 4-4-2/3-4-2-1/3-4-3 on the ball (as the pass network suggests in Pic 1).
Spurs were at the onset of the injury crisis which meant Postecoglou’s makeshift midfield partnership couldn’t handle direct Central threats, and despite being able to generate better threats, Villa’s momentum killed the game.
Predicted Lineups
Who’s in and out, the Key Players
With multiple injuries on both sides, it would make sense why there was a momentum shift for both throughout the season.
While Aston Villa have severe long-term absentees in Buendia, Kamara which has haunted them all season, Tottenham Hotspur have had recurring short-term injuries to multiple key players over course of the season.
The key players for both teams heading onto the game are definitely Watkins and Son. Both have shown very good form in front of the goal and have raked a count of assists in a well-fashioned manner too.
The season Ollie Watkins has been having is phenomenal, it’s reminiscent to the likes of Henry or Kane who were one of those strikers that hit Double digits in Goals and Assists effortlessly. Heung-min Son has been ever reliable, producing goods effectively for Spurs going into his later years (not so old though yet). He’s been able to take the mantle to be himself and also ensure Spurs didn’t miss Harry Kane around.
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It’s also due credit to Emery and Ange that both have systematically got the most out of both player, especially Emery proving he can turn any striker into a superstar under him.
While Spurs are expected to rotate lesser for the game given no European commitments, Villa have an Ajax sized tie coming up in their Conference league matchup which means they are likely to rotate more. Villa have plenty of solid Widemen like Diaby and Bailey that should get the job done in putting more pressure on Spurs Fullbacks while Luiz and McGinn will have their hands full in ensuring Maddison stays quiet.
Overall though both sides match up pretty well, with sets of players who can operate in ways that can be tweaked throughout game.
Conclusions
With the season nearing its climax, every dropped point carries significant weight. Tottenham are hot on the heels of fourth place, but face pressure from Aston Villa above and other chasing teams below. For Aston Villa, this period tests their squad depth as they juggle European competition and maintaining their position in the top four.
