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Tottenham's fight to avoid relegation continues to be an uphill battle in the Premier League and will be harder as Roberto De Zerbi faces Unai Emery's

Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur meet at Villa Park on Sunday with very different priorities, but both arrive off the back of 1-0 results. Villa return to Premier League duty after losing 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, while Spurs beat Wolves 1-0 to claim a first league win of 2026 and lift their survival hopes.

The bookies are expecting a clear winner in this one with Villa the favourites at 11/10 BetGoodwin while Spurs are 21/10 Ladbrokes to keep their survival hopes alive and a draw is 12/5 with Sky Bet. You can also find more betting offers at the Mirror Betting Hubs Free Bets offers.

Tottenham remain 18th and two points from safety, but recent improvement is clear: four points from their last two matches matches what they managed across the previous 13. Under Roberto De Zerbi, Spurs are also winning the ball higher up the pitch and posting stronger pressing numbers than they did under Thomas Frank or Igor Tudor. They now have the chance to record back-to-back league wins for only the second time this season, and their away form has been respectable, with only six sides taking more points on the road.

Villa, by contrast, are in danger of suffering three consecutive defeats in all competitions for the first time this season, after last weekend’s league loss to Fulham followed by the Forest setback in Europe. However, they are still well placed for a top-five finish, sitting eight points clear of sixth-placed Brighton, and could even seal Champions League qualification this weekend if results elsewhere fall their way — provided they do their part by beating Spurs. Their case is boosted by a four-game home winning run.

Unai Emery’s side also have recent dominance in the fixture, winning each of the last four meetings with Tottenham in all competitions, including 2-1 victories away from home in the league and FA Cup this season. Villa have had the upper hand over Tottenham throughout the campaign and start the weekend 13 places and 24 points better off. Unai Emery’s side won 2-1 in October’s meeting in London and could edge another tight victory at Villa Park.

Aston Villa vs Spurs Prediciton

Leeds to win and both teams to score - 19/10 ( BetGoodwin )

Dominic Calvert-Lewin to score anytime - 3/4 ( BetGoodwin )

Over 2.5 goals - 4/6 ( BetGoodwin )

Aston Villa vs Spurs Team News

Tottenham’s win at Wolves came at a cost, with Xavi Simons suffering an ACL injury that has ended his season. Spurs also have a fresh concern over Dominic Solanke, whose hamstring issue could rule him out for the remainder of the campaign. Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies and Guglielmo Vicario all remain sidelined, but Destiny Udogie is back in contention after missing out at Molineux with a knock.

Aston Villa have also been hit by a new setback, with Amadou Onana picking up a calf injury against Nottingham Forest after recently being troubled by a knee problem. Unai Emery has confirmed he will miss Sunday’s game, leaving Boubacar Kamara as Villa’s only other injury concern. With a top-five finish close to being secured, Emery may rotate with the Europa League in mind, potentially handing starts to players such as Ian Maatsen, Jadon Sancho and Lamare Bogarde.

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Luka Vuskovic has yet to make a single appearance for Tottenham Hotspur, but the young defender's transfer value has reportedly increased since joining the club

Luka Vuskovic's market value appears to have risen significantly despite not yet pulling on a Tottenham Hotspur shirt. The 19-year-old is currently on loan at German side Hamburger SV, having joined the Bundesliga club last summer following his official registration as a Spurs player.

Tottenham struck a deal to bring Vuskovic to the club back in 2023 when he was just 16 and plying his trade at Hajduk Split, with the defender eventually making the move to north London last summer.

Upon completing his switch to Spurs, Vuskovic joined Hamburger SV on loan to clock up vital first-team minutes, and his transfer value has increased considerably as a result.

The CIES Football Observatory have run the numbers and concluded that Vuskovic's current market value sits somewhere between €42million (£36.3million) and €49million (£42.3million).

The same organisation reported back in August last year that Vuskovic's worth was approximately €37.8million (£32.7million), representing a potential £9.6million jump in just eight months — all without featuring once for Tottenham.

Vuskovic is expected to return to Spurs this summer, though his future remains uncertain given the club's precarious league position.

Tottenham currently sit 18th in the Premier League, occupying the final place in the relegation zone with four games remaining. They sit two points behind West Ham and face Aston Villa on Sunday as they bid to move themselves clear of the drop zone.

Vuskovic has also been dealing with an injury during his loan stint at Hamburg, spending three weeks on the treatment table with a knee problem.

The young centre-back has reportedly been struggling with a 'knee contusion', but Hamburger SV manager Merlin Polzin recently delivered an encouraging update on Vuskovic's condition, with the defender participating in a light recovery session.

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"First of all, this is really good: sunshine, Luka is here. Wonderful," Polzin said.

"It gives me a good feeling that the pain has subsided."

Vuskovic marked his comeback from injury as a late substitute during Hamburg's 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, which represented the defender's 28th appearance across all competitions during his loan stint this season.

Vuskovic will also have his sights set on representing Croatia at this summer's World Cup, with the 19-year-old having already featured four times for his nation ahead of the tournament across the Atlantic, which kicks off next month.

Tottenham have endured a woeful season and remain under real threat of relegation to the Championship and former star Tim Sherwood believes it could get even worse for the North London side

Tim Sherwood has warned Tottenham could fall as low as League One should they drop out of the Premier League. The North London side have endured a miserable season this term.

They languish in the relegation zone, two points behind West Ham United, with just four games of the season remaining. And former Spurs player and manager Sherwood has real concern that it could get even worse should they not stabilise themselves off the pitch.

Speaking to BOYLE Sports, he said: “It's a worry, it depends on who's in charge of recruitment and running of the club. For me to give an educated answer on if they will go back up, for the people who are running the club at the moment, there'll be no guarantees.

“If a football person went in and ran the club, then yes, they should have the resources and deserve to be in charge to bounce straight back. But if you don't bounce straight back straight away, it becomes very difficult, as you said.

“There's giant clubs who have been down there and stayed down there for many, many years. Tottenham will be back. They're not down yet. If they go down, they will be back.

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“And it needs to be on the first attempt, in my opinion. And I think it's the club capable of doing that. But you need to change the decision makers to be able to do that.

“Leicester just shows you what can happen if your club's poorly run. And that is Leicester. Even though the club's poorly run, I look around their squad at the moment, they should never be in a relegation battle in the Championship. It's a real crying shame.

“A team that had so much success down the years, not only the Premier League win but the FA Cup win as well. Incredible what they achieved, and it's just mind-boggling to imagine that team in League One. Only 10 years ago, they were lifting that big trophy. Poor management, not on the pitch, but off the pitch.”

Only five teams have ever suffered back-to-back relegations from the Premier League in the history of the division - Leicester becoming the most recent of those. They followed Luton Town, who ended up in the third tier last year just 12 months after dropping out of the Premier League. Others include Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Swindon Town.

Spurs were given a huge boost in avoiding that fate on Saturday, with West Ham slipping to a 3-0 defeat to Brentford. Roberto De Zerbi’s side take on Aston Villa on Sunday, with Leeds, Tottenham and Everton all to come before the end of the season.

Roberto De Zerbi has hit out at the perceived negativity surrounding Tottenham as they attempt to leapfrog West Ham and survive relegation from the Premier League

Roberto De Zerbi began his press conference ahead of Tottenham's crucial trip to Aston Villa on Sunday by launching into a passionate four-minute rant about the negativity surrounding the club.

Spurs travel to fifth-placed Villa desperate for a win, with a two-point gap between them and 17th-placed West Ham. De Zerbi ended a 16-game winless run in the Premier League with a vital 1-0 win over bottom side Wolves last weekend, but the result came at a cost.

They have lost Xavi Simons to a serious knee injury, while Dominic Solanke also had to be substituted with a hamstring issue. It means they are currently without 10 players for their relegation scrap. But De Zerbi is determined that his players and the fanbase only look forward.

"Listen, I want to be clear one time," he said when asked about injuries at the start of his press conference on Friday. "The most important challenge now is to silence the voice inside of us, inside of the players, inside of the staff and inside of the fans. This voice can produce negative thoughts.

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"The voice says, ‘we are unlucky, we have too many injuries, we lost Xavi Simons and he was the last two games one of the best players and most important players for us, our medical staff is not good enough and the pitch of the stadium is not good, the pitch of the training ground is not good, it is impossible to win two or three games in a row because we have not won too many games in 2026,’ I think it is all negative things. And it is rubbish because I want to keep my focus on yourself and the quality of my players.

"We go to play against one of the best teams in this moment in Premier League, we have a big respect for [Unai] Emery as a coach, but if Tottenham win in Villa Park, it is not a miracle. Maybe we lose, I don’t know but we have the quality to win this game and it is not a miracle, so I think we have to be positive and to be lucky because we are working in a big club.

"If Solanke and Xavi are injured, we can play with [Randal] Kolo Muani, Mathys Tel, Richarlison and I think they are not worse players. They are different as characters, but are very good players. We have Pedro Porro, we have [Destiny] Udogie, we have Micky van de Ven, we have [Rodrigo] Bentancur, we have Palhinha, we have [Conor] Gallagher and Gallagher two! For that all these things and I have not too much to listen and to hear this (negative) things."

He added: "We have to die on the pitch and to die on the pitch we have to lose the game. Before we lose the game we have to play, we have to fight and we have two points less than West Ham but West Ham have to play difficult games as well like us.

"For that, okay it is not the best moment for us, it is a tough moment, a difficult moment, but the losers cry. The losers think negative. I don’t want people close to me crying or to think in different way to me.

"We are good enough to win the games, and we are good enough to stay up. And then we will see, because it's the unique way I know. The way I know is to work hard, to give my best, to transfer my idea of the players, the confidence of the players, and to be realistic. I think there are not a lot of people realistic now."

Tottenham's ideal 2026/27 squad - Rashford chance and £21m man joins De Zerbi rebuild

Tottenham Hotspur's squad could be hugely different next season if the club avoid Premier League relegation

Tottenham Hotspur face a string of major decisions in the summer transfer window, provided the club manage to secure Premier League survival. New boss Roberto De Zerbi may look to shake up his squad significantly to ensure Spurs don't find themselves embroiled in another relegation battle.

It has been a thoroughly miserable season for Tottenham, who claimed their first league victory since December only last weekend. The side sit two points from safety with four matches remaining to preserve their top-flight status.

Should Spurs accomplish their goal, De Zerbi will be eager to reshape his options. Here, Mirror Football takes a look at how a dream Spurs squad could line up for the 2026/27 Premier League campaign.

Goalkeepers

Guglielmo Vicario has been first choice since his arrival in 2023, but Spurs could be poised to ring the changes in goal. The 29-year-old is reportedly on Inter Milan's radar and De Zerbi may put his trust in another pair of hands.

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Antonin Kinsky has looked composed in his recent outings, recovering well from his major setback against Atletico Madrid earlier this term. The 23-year-old would be handed the opportunity to step up as number one should Vicario choose to depart.

The Daily Mail has linked Spurs with an interest in Freiburg and Germany U21 international Noah Atubolu, who could offer genuine competition for Kinsky. Meanwhile, Brandon Austin holds on to his place as third-choice goalkeeper.

Defenders

Securing Premier League survival would enable Spurs to retain key defensive figures such as Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie. However, the club could look to cash in on Micky van de Ven, linked with both Liverpool and Manchester United, having fallen short of their seasonal targets and missed out on European football.

Offloading Van de Ven would create a gap in De Zerbi's team for Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi, who is expected to become a free agent. The 28-year-old has emerged as a top target and securing top-flight status would be crucial in getting that deal over the line. Similarly, Andy Robertson could link up with De Zerbi's squad following his departure from Liverpool.

Young loanee Luka Vuskovic will return from Hamburg to provide defensive cover alongside Kevin Danso, while Radu Dragusin finds a move elsewhere. At full-back, Djed Spence offers an alternative option to Porro, while promising young left-back Souza will head out on loan following Robertson's arrival. Spurs maintaining their Premier League status would also see Ben Davies depart at the end of his contract this summer.

Midfielders

Avoiding relegation would pave the way for Joao Palhinha's loan move from Bayern Munich to be made permanent for around £21.7million. De Zerbi is already well-equipped in the middle of the park but is unlikely to sanction moves for the likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall as part of his rebuilding project.

Pape Matar Sarr is reported to be in discussions over a switch to Fenerbahce and would be permitted to depart, while Yves Bissouma is approaching the final months of his contract. The Spurs manager will ideally be strengthened by the return of duo James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski following lengthy spells on the sidelines.

The pair will offer competition for Xavi Simons, who sustained his own injury setback at the weekend. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Bentancur and Conor Gallagher provide further options in the centre of the park.

Forwards

Spurs could be poised to make multiple alterations in attack following a frustrating season. Randal Kolo Muani is unlikely to stay beyond his loan spell while Richarlison and Mathys Tel have struggled to propel Spurs towards safety.

The club have been linked with a surprise swoop for Marcus Rashford should he be unable to secure a permanent transfer to Barcelona. The England international would establish himself on the left wing, with Wilson Odobert offering another alternative.

Spurs could retain their Premier League status at West Ham's expense, which would create an opportunity for De Zerbi to capture Hammers captain Jarrod Bowen in another statement signing. A fully fit Mohammad Kudus would have competition on the right wing.

Dominic Solanke would remain as the focal point in attack. However, Al-Hilal striker Marcos Leonardo may emerge as a fresh backup option after being linked with a switch to Spurs. The 22-year-old Brazilian previously played for Santos and Benfica before joining the Saudi Pro League side.

Spurs' 25-man squad: Kinsky, Atubolu, Austin; Porro, Spence, Romero, Sensei, Vuskovic, Danso, Robertson, Udogie; Palhinha, Bergvall, Gray, Gallagher, Bentancur, Simons, Maddison, Kulusevski; Bowen, Kudus, Rashford, Odobert; Leonardo, Solanke.

Tottenham were already facing a monumental task to escape relegation from the Premier League before Roberto De Zerbi lost another two key attacking players to injury

Tottenham won their first game of 2026 on the weekend - and yet, somehow, their hopes of escaping relegation from the Premier League still took a downturn. Spurs laboured to a 1-0 win over bottom side Wolves on Saturday, only for a late West Ham winner and two injuries to conspire against them.

Roberto De Zerbi now has just four games left to save Spurs from the previously unthinkable of playing the 2026/27 season in the Championship. And he will have to do so without two key attacking players, with Xavi Simons out until 2027 with an ACL injury and Dominic Solanke unlikely to return this season with a hamstring issue.

Solanke was forced off in the win at Molineux before Simons had to be stretchered off in agony. De Zerbi likely had a great deal of hope placed in the attacking duo as he tries to navigate a way out of their perilous situation.

Spurs sit 18th, two points behind West Ham, who are the only realistic target for the north London side to aim at after both Leeds and Nottingham Forest pulled clear of trouble thanks to impressive unbeaten streaks. Tottenham face a trip to fifth-placed Aston Villa this weekend before facing Leeds, Chelsea and Everton.

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Having previously gone 15 league games without one, they realistically need to win two of their final four games to leapfrog the Hammers. And they will have to do so with the longest injury list of any side in the Premier League.

After Solanke and Simons went down on Saturday, Spurs now have 10 unavailable players in their squad - a number which only Liverpool, with eight, come close to. Wilson Odobert, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie and Pape Sarr are all also suffering from injuries of differing levels of severity at the worst possible time.

The lack of creativity and goalscoring threat is the most obvious issue, with Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel the only recognised attackers currently fit. James Maddison has returned to the bench for the last two games but has not played a competitive match since last May after rupturing his ACL in pre-season.

Nevertheless, Jamie Carragher believes Maddison could prove crucial to keeping Spurs up. "He is the only one I can think of in terms of doing something special. He's got that quality I mention in terms of Jarrod Bowen and Morgan Gibbs-White," he said on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.

"He is coming back from a big injury and we might only be talking about 15 to 20 minutes off the bench, but he is the only one when I look at that squad and think he could produce that little bit of magic Spurs need, especially in the away games at Aston Villa and Chelsea.

"When I think of the Spurs players and that little bit of fear of going down, and it may have gone a little after the win at Wolves, but Maddison would continue to take the ball. He'd still want to take it no matter what the situation. For Spurs to stay up, I feel he has a role to play."

Former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood feels that injuries could end up being the deciding factor, with West Ham only missing veteran goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski by comparison. "Injuries have derailed Tottenham all season, and it can't be bad luck," he told Sky Sports.

"They need to review and [have] a good look at what's happening to their players because we can all get injured from contact, but a lot of these injuries are not contact. They are twists and soft tissue injuries. And ultimately, it looks like they might have to pay the price for it, the ultimate price, which is relegation."

De Zerbi can't use injuries as an excuse. Using his depleted numbers, he must find a way to turn the tide.

Arsenal face Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday, with the La Liga side hoping to continue their impressive home record

Arsenal will be braced for another pitch battle at Atletico Madrid.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta faces a tough semi final against Atletico on Wednesday night as the Spanish giants have turned their home into a fortress this season.

Tottenham complained the pitch was watered too heavily before their last 16 tie in March and that led to players slipping on the wet surface. Barcelona boss Hansi Flick said the grass was too long before their quarter final to try and slow the game down.

It will be a genuine concern for Arsenal ahead of their semi-final tie as Atletico are underdogs but their 70,000 capacity Metropolitano Stadium could be a huge weapon. The crowd will be passionate and lively while manager Diego Simeone has vast experience of making life difficult for opponents.

There are strict UEFA rules on the state of the pitch which say “the home club must make every reasonable effort to ensure that the pitch is in the best possible condition” and they will undergo strict pre-match checks.

UEFA’s Article 34 also states: “The home club must respect the pitch-cutting guidelines for natural grass pitches. The height of the grass must not exceed 30mm and the entire playing surface must be cut to the same height.

“The height of the grass should be the same for both the training sessions and the match. If deemed necessary by the referee or the UEFA match delegate, the home club may be required to reduce the height of the grass for the match and training sessions.

“The pitch-watering schedule must be communicated by the home club at the organisational meeting. The pitch must be watered evenly and not only in certain areas.

“As a general rule, pitch watering must finish 60 minutes before kick-off. However, upon the decision of the home club, pitch watering may also take place after that time: between 10 and 5 minutes before kick-off; and/or during half-time, for a maximum of 5 minutes.”

That states that Atletico can water the pitch just before kick-off and therefore Arsenal are certain to keep an eye on what happens.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are still waiting on defender Jurrien Timber to return to fitness. The Dutch defender has been a big miss for the Gunners because of a groin injury and he has yet to step up his training levels.

But Timber has done some work and the hope is that he will be able to kick on and be available for the run-in even though his continued absence is a worry for Arsenal and also Holland ahead of the World Cup.

Eberechi Eze has insisted that he expects to be fit after a scare against Newcastle but Kai Havertz is likely to be out for longer but it is not expected to be a serious lay-off.

Tottenham and West Ham are both scrapping for Premier League survival and have only four games remaining before the season comes to a close

Tottenham and West Ham have just four matches left before their Premier League fate is decided. But who would be facing relegation if their upcoming results mirrored the reverse games?

The battle for top-flight survival will soon reach its conclusion, with Wolves and Burnley already down. One relegation place remains and it is currently occupied by Roberto De Zerbi's Tottenham.

Spurs were winless in 2026 before overcoming Wolves 1-0 on Saturday and despite this victory, remain in 18th, destined for the drop as things stand. Both Leeds United and Nottingham Forest have put together results in the last few matches and while they could be dragged back into the scrap, West Ham find themselves in 17th.

The Hammers left it late to beat Everton 2-1 over the weekend and they have two more points than Tottenham. With only four games left, Mirror Football has a look at Spurs and West Ham's run-in and what happened the last time they faced their remaining opponents.

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Beginning with Tottenham's schedule, they travel to Villa Park on Sunday to face the top-five-chasing Aston Villa. Unai Emery's side currently occupy fifth spot.

Villa are in action midweek as they face Forest in the first leg of a Europa League semi-final, having beaten Spurs 2-1 in the reverse fixture. The two teams also came to blows in the FA Cup and it was Villa who sent Tottenham packing from this year's competition, beating them 2-1 again in January.

Next up for De Zerbi's men is a home match against Leeds United on May 11. When Tottenham visited Elland Road in October, they beat their upcoming adversaries 2-1.

Spurs close out their season with an away clash against Chelsea and a match on home soil against Everton. Tottenham lost 1-0 to their London rivals in November, after dismantling the Toffees 3-0 a month earlier.

If Tottenham mirrored these four results, two losses and two wins, they'd finish the campaign on 40 points. West Ham's next opponents are Brentford, who beat them 2-0 in the reverse fixture in October.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side then take on the current Premier League leaders in Arsenal on May 10. The reverse of this match-up saw the Gunners prevail 2-0.

The Hammers then face a trip to Newcastle United and a final-day home match against Leeds that could hold major relegation implications. West Ham beat the Magpies 3-1 in November but did lose to Leeds 2-1 in October.

So, if the results of these reverse games repeat, West Ham's season would end with three defeats and one win, meaning they'd hypothetically be relegated on 39 points.

Of course, both teams could play out different results than the reverses, for better or for worse, as both did on Saturday. Spurs had drawn 1-1 with Wolves in the reverse match before their win and West Ham did the same, being held by Everton when they met in September.

Tottenham will see their clash with Chelsea rearranged due to the Blues making the FA Cup final - leaving them with the prospect of being relegated at Stamford Bridge if results go against them

Tottenham's penultimate Premier League game of the season against Chelsea will need to be rearranged after the Blues made the FA Cup final - and could leave the north Londoners in a do-or-die situation.

The two sides had been due to meet at Stamford Bridge on Sunday May 17, but the FA Cup final is the day prior and the west London side will face Manchester City at Wembley. It leaves them and Tottenham needing to find a new date before the final day of the season on Sunday May 24.

A date for the rearranged fixture between Tottenham and Chelsea is expected to be announced imminently, but it is likely to take place after the FA Cup final. Tottenham themselves are playing a home to Leeds on Monday May 11, which makes it almost impossible for the game to be played in that midweek.

If it is rearranged for the days leading up to the final day, where Tottenham face Everton at home, then they will play after relegation rivals West Ham have taken on Newcastle at St James’ Park.

It means a situation exists whereby Tottenham, who are already two points off the Hammers, may need to respond to West Ham's result and anything but a win at Chelsea could relegate them.

It adds further spice to a fixture that has previously seen tensions boil over. It was in 2016 that a draw with the Blues saw Tottenham miss out on the title and crown Leicester. They had led 2-0 that night before conceding twice as tempers flared with Tottenham receiving a record nine yellow cards.

Tottenham only have four games to save their season and head to Aston Villa this weekend before hosting Leeds. Saturday saw them win a first league game in 2026 as they narrowly saw off already relegated Wolves, Joao Palhinha scoring a second-half winner.

The blow for Tottenham was a stoppage time strike for West Ham, which saw them pick up three points at home to Everton. It leaves Roberto De Zerbi's side on 34 points, two shy of the Hammers. A thumping win for Nottingham Forest on Friday means they are five points clear of the north Londoners.

De Zerbi said after their win at Molineux: "I'm happy for the result. I hope this result can change something in our head, in our mentality for the other results. It's already very tough to win a game for us. If we put our heads on the other teams, it becomes too tough for me."