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Pre-match review
Aston Villa continued to nurture hopes of reaching the top 4 of the Premier League this season after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium on May 10.
Despite an unimpressive performance, coach Unai Emery's team still won all 3 points to rise to 6th place with 63 points, equal with Chelsea, the team ranked 5th but with a better goal difference.
In the match against Bournemouth, Aston Villa only had 6 shots in the entire 90 minutes of play, of which 3 shots came in the first half's injury time, and the last shot appeared right at the beginning of the second half, in the 46th minute. However, that was enough for them to bring home a valuable victory in the fierce race for a ticket to the Champions League next season.
Although it must be admitted that this was a somewhat lucky victory, coach Unai Emery certainly has no reason to complain, especially when the gap between them and a top 4 position is now only goal difference.
More importantly, Chelsea - a direct competitor - still has two big challenges named Manchester United and Nottingham Forest (currently ranked 7th) in the final rounds.
A Champions League ticket is not only a prestigious value but also a vital one for Aston Villa in the context of the risk of violating the financial regulations of the Premier League. If they cannot finish in the top 4, the Villa Park team will face a series of consequences: reduced revenue, difficulty in retaining key players and limited ability to strengthen the squad in the summer.
On the other hand, Tottenham are in a serious crisis. After a 0-2 defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend, Spurs have now dropped to 17th place with only 38 points, a position close to the "red light" group.
More importantly, if it weren't for the lack of luck from Palace's attack when they launched 23 shots, but only 10 were on target and created 8 clear opportunities, Tottenham could have suffered a much heavier defeat.
Coach Ange Postecoglou is facing the worst Premier League season in the club's history. If they lose to Aston Villa in the next round, Spurs will reach 21 defeats in 37 matches, an alarming number for a team that was once considered a candidate to compete for a European Cup spot.
Despite beating Aston Villa 4-1 in the first leg of the Premier League in November, Tottenham lost 1-2 at Villa Park in the fourth round of the FA Cup in February. Their inconsistent form makes it difficult to place high expectations on the upcoming trip.
The Australian strategist believes the main reason for the poor domestic results is due to the impact of injuries and the team having to compete in the Europa League, an arena where Tottenham reached the final.
With their sights set on European football, Spurs may not be able to field their strongest squad when they travel to Villa Park.
Form, head-to-head history
Aston Villa and Tottenham are showing two completely opposite faces. In the last 6 matches in all competitions, the home team at Villa Park has won 4 and lost only 2. In contrast, the Roosters have only won 2, drawn 1 and lost 3 matches.
Aston Villa are showing incredible stability, especially in defense. They have kept 2 consecutive clean sheets, conceding only 3 goals in the last 8 rounds in the Premier League, the most impressive defensive streak in the tournament at the moment. Coach Unai Emery and his team have also won 7 of their last 8 matches in the Premier League, showing strong determination in the race for a ticket to the Champions League.
Villa Park is now truly an impregnable “fortress”. The Birmingham team is currently on a 20-match unbeaten run at home, including 14 wins. Notably, they have won all 7 of their most recent matches when playing at their home ground, where the fans are always on fire.
Meanwhile, in the last 10 matches in the Premier League, Tottenham lost 7 matches and only had 1 victory, against Southampton on April 6. Spurs' away record is also extremely alarming with 5 consecutive away matches without a win, conceding 13 goals and only scoring 4 goals.
With current form and Villa Park as their support, Aston Villa have reason to believe in another victory, both to pay off the debt of losing 1-4 in the first leg and to continue to nurture their Champions League dream until the last minute.
Force information
Aston Villa: Jacob Ramsey is suspended after being sent off against Bournemouth. Marcus Rashford is struggling with a hamstring problem. Youri Tielemans is also absent due to injury.
Tottenham Hotspur: Dejan Kulusevski is out for several months after knee surgery. James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall are also out injured. Manager Ange Postecoglou is expected to rotate his squad to save his strength for the Europa League final.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Onana; Rogers, Asensio, McGinn; Watkins
Tottenham (4-3-3): Vicario; Spence, Danso, Davies, Gray; Bissouma, Sarr, Odobert; Johnson, Richarlison, Son
Score prediction: Aston Villa 3-1 Tottenham
Source: https://tienphong.vn/nhan-dinh-aston-villa-vs-tottenham-01h30-ngay-175-ga-trong-kho-thoat-post1742735.tpo
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