Wednesday’s success over Manchester City kept Tottenham Hotspur perfect in tournament competitions this season, which has an argument for being the club’s biggest priority. However, last weekend’s stinker against Palace means Spurs have won just four of nine Premier League contests, which is frankly unacceptable for a team of this quality, regardless of where its ambitions lie.
Now Tottenham welcomes in an Aston Villa side that should again contend for a top-four spot by the end of the year. The biggest story for Villa this campaign is not domestic though, as three wins through three Champions League matchweeks is equaled on the continent only by Liverpool. Spurs need a big bounce back after last weekend; this one is not straightforward by any means, but at least it is at home.
Tottenham Hotspur (t-8th, 13pts) vs. Aston Villa (t-3rd, 18pts)
Date: Sunday, November 3
Time: 9:00 am ET, 2:00 pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: USA Network (USA), TNT Sports 1 (UK)
Villa is actually slumping a bit in the league, having drawn three of the past four after four wins in the first five. That hot start has kept the side near the top of the table, but it will be difficult to juggle two demanding competitions. The 1-0 win over Bayern Munich last month was certainly the biggest result thus far, while none of the domestic wins have come against the big six.
The home-road narrative for Tottenham is worth discussing, making last season’s results all the more confusing. Spurs squandered a Giovani Lo Celso opener to fall 1-2 in North London last November, but then had maybe their best performance under Ange Postecoglou to date in the reverse fixture, with an emphatic four-goal rout at Villa Park with James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Heung-Min Son, and Timo Werner all finding the net in the second half.
Assessing the inventory
The premise of what looks like the deepest Spurs squad on paper in some time continues to be tested. Son is rarely 100 percent, and the win over City saw multiple players pick up a knock, including Micky van de Ven, who is unfortunately acquiring that dreaded injury-prone label. While rotation is a necessity given the modern schedule, it is frustrating to seemingly never have the best XI all available at once.
With multiple competitions still in scope, this depth is really going to be tested. The issue is how stark the drop-off seems to be when reserves come in, as seen with last week’s front three without Son. Now, the back line loses van de Ven with Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran charging forward, boasting 13 total goals between them already. For a defense that continues to make fatal mistakes, having to reshuffle the components is the last thing anyone wants to see, and slip-ups against Villa will be punished.
Tempered aggression
Though it was not full-strength City, Tottenham’s victory Wednesday was still a notable conquest. Spurs had just 32 percent possession but showed tons of energy pressing and charging forward on the counter. This is obviously a change from how Postecoglou typically sets up, and while Sunday is unlikely to follow this exact pattern, there are some relevant takeaways.
The last two goals Villa conceded were from a keeper longball to Raul Jimenez down the length of the entire pitch and a late equalizer off a Bournemouth free kick that came from a foul on the break. Tottenham continues to struggle breaking down low blocks, but fluid play certainly yielded chances against City and should be available again this weekend. Giving up some possession to stay aggressive defensively and pounce in transition is something I would welcome, especially in this sort of fixture.