Aston Villa vs Tottenham – News and Probable Lineups

Aston Villa, who are in pursuit of a Champions League spot, will face Tottenham Hotspur, who are struggling against relegation, in a Sunday Premier League fixture at Villa Park. Both teams recently concluded matches with 1-0 scorelines.

The Lions return to league play after a tight defeat to Nottingham Forest in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, while Tottenham managed a narrow victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, registering their first Premier League win of 2026.

Match overview

Tottenham fans experienced a moment of joy during the brief window when Joao Palhinha scored the winning goal against Wolves and Callum Wilson found the net for West Ham United against Everton, momentarily lifting Spurs out of the relegation zone during a tumultuous 2026 season.

The Iron’s remarkable 2-1 win over Everton indicates that the standings in the Premier League remain unchanged, with Tottenham in 18th place, two points adrift from Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad. However, hope for survival flickers a bit brighter for the Lilywhites.

Gathering four points from their last two Premier League matches is a significant improvement compared to their prior 13 league games where they could only manage four points. Roberto De Zerbi’s tactics are showing effectiveness, as Tottenham is experiencing improved pressing sequences and ball recovery in the attacking third compared to their time under Thomas Frank or Igor Tudor.

Having put an end to a 15-game winless streak in the Premier League, Tottenham now aims for back-to-back league wins for just the second time this campaign, following their victories over Burnley and Manchester City at the start of the season.

Moreover, Tottenham ranks among the top six teams in the Premier League for points earned on away turf, having accumulated 23 out of a total of 34 while oddly scoring and allowing the same number of 23 goals on their travels.

Aston Villa, unable to mirror Tottenham’s 1-0 win away from home in any of their last Premier League or Europa League fixtures, find themselves in danger of three consecutive losses across all competitions for the first time this season as they enter gameweek 35.

Ryan Sessegnon, a former Tottenham player, made a crucial impact in the last top-flight defeat to Fulham, while Chris Wood converted a penalty to put Nottingham ahead at halftime in their Europa League semi-final, which is set to continue next Thursday evening amid a lively atmosphere at Villa Park.

Villa’s chances of securing Champions League qualification through Europa League triumph now depend on a comeback in the second leg, but with an eight-point advantage over sixth-place Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, a top-five finish could be achieved on Sunday.

If Villa manages to defeat Tottenham, while Brighton loses points against Newcastle United and Bournemouth fails to beat Crystal Palace, they will secure a place in the 2026-27 Champions League. Their current home winning streak of four games puts them in a strong position.

Interestingly, Villa has won their last four encounters against Tottenham in all competitions, which includes two 2-1 victories in the league and FA Cup earlier this season.

Team News

While Tottenham celebrated their win against Wolves, their 2026 campaign was marred by the unfortunate ACL injury sustained by Xavi Simons, which has ruled him out for the season and the World Cup.

Simons joins Dominic Solanke on the sidelines due to a hamstring issue, which may keep him out for the remainder of the season as well.

Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Dejan Kulusexi (knee), Wilson Odobert (knee), Cristian Romero (knee), Ben Davies (ankle) and Guglielmo Vicario (hernia) remain unavailable, but Destiny Udogie, who missed the trip to Molineux due to a knock, is set to return to contention.

Aston Villa also faces a new injury concern as Amadou Onana suffered a calf injury against Forest on Thursday, just days after missing their previous match against Fulham with a knee issue.

Unai Emery has confirmed that Onana will not participate on Sunday, though no recovery timeline was provided, while Boubacar Kamara (knee) also remains an injury worry for the hosts.

With a top-five finish nearly secured, Emery might prioritize the Europa League and make changes in his squad for Sunday’s matchup, allowing players like Ian Maatsen, Jadon Sancho, and Onana’s potential replacement Lamare Bogarde to start.

Aston Villa probable starting XI:

Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Tielemans, Bogarde; Bailey, Rogers, Sancho; Watkins

Tottenham Hotspur probable starting XI:

Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison

The absence of Solanke and Simons may not be detrimental to Tottenham, considering that Richarlison, who would take over from Solanke, has contributed 13 goals this Premier League season. Tottenham appears to be rejuvenated under De Zerbi’s leadership.

With Villa balancing their Europa League ambitions and recent struggles in front of goal, the visitors could secure a hard-fought point, though it may not be sufficient for survival.