Two groups with vastly totally different goals on the enterprise finish of the season will conflict within the uncommon Sunday night slot (19:00 BST) when welcome to the West Midlands.
Villa, off the again of a within the Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday, are aiming to get again into the Champions League by way of their Premier League place, lest they fall in need of profitable the continent’s second-tier membership competitors.
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Presently, they’re poised to do exactly that, sitting fifth, eight factors away from . There’s a fear, nonetheless, that the Villans could have peaked too early after they gained eight league video games on the trot in November and December.
Unai Emery’s facet have gained simply two of their previous seven within the league, shedding 4 – as many defeats as they suffered of their earlier 24 top-flight matches.
Ollie on the up
Main scorer has six targets in his previous seven matches, a welcome return to kind after netting simply three in 16 throughout a difficult begin to 2026.
It’s maybe not a coincidence that his good run began after 20 March, when he wasn’t named in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for that month’s friendlies.
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Certainly, he has scored targets in three earlier Premier League video games towards sides managed by Roberto de Zerbi, together with a hat-trick towards Brighton in September 2023.
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One place he has not scored from this season, nonetheless, is the penalty spot. Villa and, coincidentally, Spurs are the one two sides within the division to not have been awarded a spot-kick this time period.
Roberto’s rallying cry
Tottenham are aiming to safe back-to-back league wins for the primary time because the opening eight days of the season.
Having ended their 16-game home winless streak with victory over relegated final week, De Zerbi’s facet should goal for a similar once more on Sunday.
Spurs are teetering on the brink. They sit 18th, two factors adrift of , and the prospect of Championship soccer is looming more and more massive until they get their act collectively.
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De Zerbi, appointed on the finish of March, mentioned earlier than Saturday’s win at Molineux: “This crew is ready to win 5 video games in a row.” It is a daring assertion given the Lilywhites have gained simply eight of their 34 matches thus far.
It’s one down, 4 to go, if this injury-stricken Spurs squad is to fulfill the Italian coach’s goal. No crew has ever been within the relegation zone with 5 matches of a Premier League season to play and gained all of them.
There are, nonetheless, 18 examples of such a crew profitable three of their final 5 video games (and 5 situations of a crew profitable 4 video games), which ought to give hope to these presently struggling in north London.
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A degree can be extra helpful to the hosts than the guests, however current historical past suggests honours are unlikely to complete even on this fixture. Not one of the previous 21 league conferences between Villa (seven wins) and Spurs (14) have ended stage.