Tottenham vs Aston Villa – News and Probable Lineups

In the early kickoff of this Saturday’s Premier League fixture, two struggling teams face off as Tottenham Hotspur host Aston Villa at their home ground in London.

Neither team has achieved even a single victory in the top flight this season, but while the Spurs continue to falter, the Lions did manage to break their goal-scoring lull in the fourth round of the Premier League.

Match overview

Having found the net against a Premier League opponent for the first time this season, Tottenham witnessed Conor Gallagher’s close-range header against Liverpool on Tuesday night, which ultimately meant little as their hopes for EFL Cup glory faded once more.

Roberto De Zerbi’s squad fell to goals from Alexis Mac Allister, former transfer target Cody Gakpo, and Dominik Szoboszlai in a 3-1 defeat in the third round, which extended their winless streak across all competitions to four matches, leaving them still searching for a victory over a top-flight rival.

Charlton Athletic remains the only club to come away without a point against De Zerbi’s team this season, and the discontent from fans is already echoing around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, especially after a lackluster 0-0 draw against Everton last weekend—the first goalless game in Premier League history at this venue.

Finding themselves among the bottom five teams without a win, and alongside relegation candidates Coventry City as the only teams yet to score, Tottenham sits precariously in 17th place in the Premier League standings, just one point above the relegation zone.

The Crystal Palace team of the 2017-18 season was the only previous Premier League club to finish the opening four games of a season without scoring, although by that time Frank de Boer had already been dismissed from his role as manager, and currently, there are minimal worries regarding De Zerbi’s job safety.

The head coach is facing added pressure due to the team’s struggle to score, an issue beyond his complete control. However, Tottenham enters the fifth round of matches with a slightly better record compared to their Champions League-challenging counterparts.

After a chaotic moment of European success at Club Brugge, Aston Villa has continued to struggle in the Premier League; their encounter at Villa Park with Nottingham Forest was where they finally managed to score this season, but they still left without any points.

Goals from Liam Delap and Igor Jesus around Alysson’s first Premier League goal led Nottingham to a 2-1 victory, marking Villa’s third loss in four league matches this season, although they did find some balance in midweek.

While the squad has stumbled in the league, Tammy Abraham excelled in the EFL Cup, notching two goals in a simple 3-1 win against Coventry City, sending the Lions through to the fourth round.

From having scored just one goal in their initial quartet of games, Villa has now netted seven in their past three encounters, rediscovering their goal-scoring touch as they prepare to face an opponent they have historically performed well against. Emery’s side has claimed victory in four of their last five matches against Tottenham, with the solitary exception being a crucial 2-1 win for Spurs away from home in May.

Team News

True to form, Tottenham has suffered another injury setback ahead of their EFL Cup match against Liverpool, as Sandro Tonali was unable to participate due to an undisclosed injury.

Tonali’s status remains uncertain for Saturday along with Pedro Porro (muscle injury), while Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Xavi Simons (knee), Wilson Odobert (knee), and Mykhaylo Mudryk (ankle) are all on the sidelines with extended absences.

Having made consecutive substitute appearances against Liverpool and Everton, James Maddison may now be fit to feature for either 45 or 60 minutes, while Mohammed Kudus is likely to be rested after his 75-minute outing in the midweek loss.

In a shift from injury concerns to positive news, Villa will welcome Joao Gomes back from a three-match suspension following his red card on debut against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Neither Matty Cash (muscle) nor Brian Madjo (ankle) have been ruled out yet, but Pau Torres (hamstring), Leon Goretzka (knee), Ian Maatsen (ankle), and Amadou Onana (knee) are confirmed to be unavailable, while Marco Bizot suffered a back issue on Wednesday but was always intended to be replaced by Zion Suzuki.

Abraham, having performed well, poses a challenge for Nicolas Jackson, and Johan Manzambi stands on the brink of his full debut following two substitute appearances.

Tottenham Hotspur probable starting XI:

Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson; Fernandes, Bentancur; Savio, Maddison, Marmoush; Solanke

Aston Villa probable starting XI:

Suzuki; Cash, Lindelof, Mings, Ruggeri; Chamber, Barkley; Mbaye, McGinn, Hemmings; Abraham

With both personnel and confidence returning to Aston Villa, Emery’s squad is starting to resemble their former attacking prowess, and Tottenham might learn a thing or two from their visitors on Saturday.

The Lilywhites do at least have an additional day’s rest and can also implement some changes in their attack, making it quite realistic for De Zerbi’s side to settle for a third consecutive draw.