Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Our football betting expert Jones Knows provides his insight across the weekend card of Premier League fixtures.
Aston Villa vs Leeds, Saturday 3pm - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
Leeds on the double chance at Evens with Sky Bet is a bet that makes plenty of appeal.
Why? Because Villa without Boubacar Kamara are a completely different animal.
Since the start of the 23/24 Premier League season, when Kamara plays, Villa concede just 1.1 goals per game and win 61 per cent of their matches. That's top-four calibre output. He offers such structure, control and protection for the back four. Everything flows through that defensive midfield screen.
Take him out of the equation and the drop-off is dramatic.
Live Premier League table | Watch FREE PL highlights
Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱
No Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺
Without Kamara, Villa are conceding 1.7 goals per game and their win rate tumbles to 42 per cent. That's not a marginal dip, that's the difference between a Champions League-chasing side and one operating at mid-table levels.
He is the glue that keeps Villa's shape so compact. Without him, they are easier to play against.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2
Brentford vs Brighton, Saturday 3pm
Igor Thiago is a striker that makes those that like to combine bets using the BuildABet function sit up and take notice.
He's a chaos merchant. The type defenders hate playing against as he's an elite finisher but someone who puts himself about too. Goals, fouls, bookings - it's all part of the package.
This exact combination of him scoring, committing two fouls and being carded has landed in two of his last six starts. That's a 33 per cent strike-rate for a 10/1 shot. From a pure numbers perspective, that is a nice edge to attack at a juicy price.
SCORE PREDICTION: 2-1 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Igor Thiago to score, commit +2 fouls & be carded (10/1 with Sky Bet)
Chelsea vs Burnley, Saturday 3pm - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
Chelsea at 2/9 with Sky Bet which tells you everything about how this match is expected to play out.
The betting edge sits with Joao Pedro at Evens to score.
Since the arrival of Liam Rosenior, there's been a noticeable shift in how Chelsea's central striker is being used. Rosenior has a track record of improving attacking output from key players, giving them clarity of role and trust. Strikers thrive on rhythm and responsibility. Joao Pedro currently has both.
Four goals in his last five Premier League games is showing a period of sustained form. His shot volume is healthy, his touches in the box are up and he's operating as the clear focal point rather than drifting in and out of games.
SCORE PREDICTION: 3-0 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Joao Pedro to score (Evens with Sky Bet)
West Ham vs Bournemouth, Saturday 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
Andoni Iraola and the Bournemouth hierarchy are doing remarkable things. Every key metric in their performance and results output is up since they sold their best player in Antoine Semenyo six games ago.
They are the new Brighton when it comes to recruitment. They have such a great way of finding players that can play Iraola's high-intensity, vertical and aggressive without the ball style and then make the next step up in terms of development.
Bournemouth are unbeaten in all 12 Premier League games this season against teams currently 12th or lower and Iraola has never lost against a Nuno Espirito Santo team in five meetings, winning on aggregate 12-6. There is plenty of juice taking the Cherries on the draw no bet option at Evens with Sky Bet.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Bournemouth draw no bet (Evens with Sky Bet)
Manchester City vs Newcastle, Saturday 8pm
Nick Woltemade playing central midfield. It looks wrong. It feels wrong. And yet it works.
This positional change from centre forward to part of the midfield three does bring some excellent betting opportunities whilst the props market are slow to adjust their lines.
Since dropping deeper into the heart of the midfield, Woltemade has been racking up the foul involvements at a higher rate than his usual output. In both his starts at Aston Villa and Qarabag he's made three foul involvements (fouls won and fouls committed). It's 13/10 to land again with Sky Bet. A cracking price.
SCORE PREDICTION: 2-1
Crystal Palace vs Wolves, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports
Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱
No Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺
There's nothing quite as powerful in football betting as narrative meeting numbers.
Jorgen Strand Larsen facing former club Wolves for his new employers Crystal Palace? That's the sort of angle that gets the juices flowing.
The 25/1 on offer with Sky Bet for him to score and be carded is one of those prices that makes you double take. A player with a point to prove is a dangerous one.
We often see ex-players start these fixtures at full throttle. Emotion creeps in and emotion can lead to bookings. If he scores, the celebration could boil over. Both bets could land in one action. And they still have a chance of landing at separate points in the match.
SCORE PREDICTION: 2-0 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Jorgen Strand Larsen to score and to be carded (25/1 with Sky Bet)
Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱
No Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺
If you're looking at the straight win price on Liverpool at 4/5 away to Nottingham Forest, I'm with you.
Yet sometimes the sharper play isn't just backing the obvious outcome, it's backing the pattern that comes with it. Liverpool to win to nil at 23/10 looks a far more rewarding angle. When Liverpool win, they tend to shut the door. There's very little 'we'll outscore you 3-2' about their recent victories, especially in matches where the market expects them to take care of business.
All seven of their recent wins against teams they went off 4/5 or shorter to beat away from home were achieved to nil. When they dominate these types of fixtures, they control territory, limit transitions and squeeze the life out of opponents. It's the Arne Slot way.
Zoom out further and nine of their last 11 victories overall have been to nil, too.
SCORE PREDICTION: 0-1
Sunderland vs Fulham, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
This is one of those ultra-condensed markets where you could make a case for all three outcomes without really convincing yourself on any of them. The win prices are tight, hovering around the 17/10 mark for both and the handicap lines are cautious.
When that happens, the draw often becomes the value simply because it's the biggest price of the three.
At 23/10, you're being paid more for an outcome that fits the shape of the game. Sunderland at home are very competitive, well-drilled and rarely blown away. Fulham are organised, tactically mature and comfortable playing in tight margins away from home. These two may just cancel one another out.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1
Tottenham vs Arsenal, Sunday 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
Lots on the line with a backdrop of pure tension in the air. Tottenham are too big at 5/1 for the victory but the best bet revolves around cards.
The last 13 meetings have produced 5.3 yellows per game and I'd expect that average to be hit but the market has that covered.
So, heading to the player cards is advisable.
Martin Zubimendi is where my money is going at 11/4 with Sky Bet.
Zubimendi is a cynical player that does tend to get himself caught short in transition or talk his way into trouble in big atmospheres. He's been carded away at Liverpool, Sunderland and Chelsea - and three times in the Champions League already this season.
Questions for Mikel Arteta over mentality, selection and Premier League title bid
Analysis: How and why Arsenal unravelled against Wolves
Paul Merson: 'Bottle-job' talk will ramp up around Arsenal
His direct opponent here in Xavi Simons is another reason to get involved. He's an outstanding drawer of fouls and cards. And makes challenges look worse than they are, which is a key trait to when looking for value in card match-ups.
If you run his cards drawn data in league matches across the last three seasons, he's drawn 37 cards off opponents from just over 4,000 minutes of action. That's a card drawn every 108 minutes - almost one a game. Elite level skullduggery.
SCORE PREDICTION: 2-1 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Martin Zubimendi to be carded (11/4 with Sky Bet)
Everton vs Manchester United, Monday 8pm, live on Sky Sports
Harry Maguire to be fouled at 5/6 with Sky Bet looks a cracking angle to attack.
Since breaking back into the United starting XI, this is a bet that's quietly been printing. He's been fouled in each of his last five starts, winning seven fouls in total across those matches. He attacks first contact aggressively, steps into midfield with the ball and isn't shy about putting his body between opponent and possession. When you play that way, contact follows.
His likely direct opponent, Thierno Barry, averages 1.75 fouls per 90 minutes. That's a forward who engages, presses hard and doesn't mind leaving a foot in when chasing back.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1
Jones Knows' best bets:
Sam Allardyce has said that Tottenham's players need reminding of their responsbility to the club if they want to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle.
Spurs sacked manager Thomas Frank last week and have replaced him with interim coach Igor Tudor, with the club sat 16th in the Premier League, five points off the relegation zone.
Tudor will be thrown straight into the fire with a North London derby against league leaders Arsenal kicking off a tough run of fixtures that also includes a trip to Liverpool.
While the Croatian will be hoping to make an immediate impact, Allardyce, who steered four teams away from the drop after being appointed mid-season, believes the onus is on the players more than the new interim coach.
"We can all claim we did this and did that before the first game we managed, but we haven't done that much really," Allardyce told Sky Sports.
Live Premier League table | Watch FREE PL highlights
Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱
Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺
"What we hope for is that the players go out and prove themselves. Why shouldn't you give 100 million per cent when you earn 150 grand a week? You get the best food and one of the best facilities in the country at Tottenham - and don't give your 110 percent? You should be kicked out of the club if you don't."
Tudor will not have a large squad to pick from when he first takes charge against the Gunners, with 11 senior players out injured, but Allardyce was not accepting that as an excuse for the players to not give their all in the run-in
"It's a God-given right. That's what you do for the football club: blood, sweat and tears, That's a given," Allardyce added. "That shouldn't even have to be demanded or asked for. But it looks like it is."
'Frank will come back better; Dyche unlucky to be sacked'
Frank left Spurs with a win rate of just 26.9 per cent, the worst in the Premier Leaue for the club. However, Allardyce has backed the "brilliant coach" to learn from the experience and bounce back stronger.
"Thomas experienced what it's like to manage a big club for the first time," Allardyce said.
"It's different. I've done it at Everton, Newcastle, West Ham. There's a different type of mentality and pressure.
"I think he's obviously proved he's a brilliant coach. The experience he's gained, if he gets another opportunity, he will be better for it once he's analysed what he did and didn't do.
"Thomas will reappear in the Premier League somewhere. He'll certainly not have to wait to get a job."
While Tudor is the new man through the door at Tottenham, Sean Dyche was shown the exit at Nottingham Forest shortly after and replaced by Vitor Pereira, a decision Allardyce puts down to a case of bad luck.
"[In the 0-0 draw with Wolves they had] 35 attempts at goal and he gets sacked," Allardyce added.
"Normally, that's 4-0, 5-0. Normally. It looked like it would be, but didn't materialise.
"Some bad misses and some worldie saves. He wouldn't have got sacked if he'd have won. Sean was unfortunate, but he knows the owner. He's prepared to face that.
"We know what we get with the owner and we move on. We accept it. It won't stop him getting another job."
Spurs and Forest hires 'a risk'
In Tudor, Spurs have hired a coach with no Premier League experience, while Forest have opted to replace Dyche with Pereira, who was sacked by Wolves in November with the club having picked up just two points from their opening 10 Premier League games.
"Any coach going in at this stage, it's a risk. It's a challenge," Allardyce claimed. "You've got to find out what the problems are - and there are problems - as quick as you can.
"They just need to simplify things. If you're conceding too many goals, try to stop that. If you're not scoring enough, try and improve that. Then we'll start going in the right direction."
"They [the players] need to take to what they're trying to achieve. And it needs to be done overnight. That's how hard the job is."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
“We have a lot of injured players, so we need to first find the best system that suits the players that are available at this moment, so a very particular moment.”
New Tottenham boss Igor Tudor is acutely aware of what he is walking into.
Spurs are not only battling the drop, but a major absentee crisis too, with 12 players set to be missing for his first game in charge against Arsenal at home on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
Meet the 'firefighter' Tudor tasked with keeping Spurs up
Tottenham news & transfers⚪ | Spurs fixtures & scores
Got Sky? Watch Tottenham games LIVE on your phone📱
Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺
Captain Cristian Romero is suspended, while the other 11 absentees are all injured, so it begs the question of how Tudor will set up his injury-hit side for the north London derby?
The Croatian prefers three-at-the-back, with the stats overwhelmingly proving this during his time in Serie A and Ligue 1.
But with Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin the only recognised centre-backs available at Spurs, Tudor will have to turn to a makeshift centre-half if he is to immediately implement his go-to setup.
Joao Palhinha was the preferred emergency centre-back option for Tudor's predecessor, Thomas Frank.
The Dane, who was sacked after an eight-game winless league run, predominantly played with a back four, although he experimented with three-at-the-back in the latter stages of his disastrous eight-month tenure.
But Tudor is a specialist in this setup, which could help give Spurs more solidity, having failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven league games.
Sunday's opponents, however, have a good record when facing a back three.
Since the start of last season, Arsenal have lost only once to a three-at-the-back system in the Premier League, however what will give encouragement to Tudor is the fact that they dropped points on Wednesday at bottom side Wolves, who played 3-4-2-1.
But the Gunners thrashed Spurs when they last met in November, with Frank deploying three at the back.
Tudor's back-three impact at Juve and Lazio
That chastening loss at the Emirates Stadium is part of the club's current horrific Premier League run, which has seen them win just twice in 17 games.
It has left Spurs 16th in the table and just five points above the relegation zone, landing Tudor yet another firefighting role.
When the ex-Galatasaray boss was parachuted into Juventus and Lazio in recent seasons, he immediately switched to a back three and delivered an upturn in results.
Replacing Maurizio Sarri at Lazio in March 2024, Tudor moved away from the ex-Chelsea head coach's 4-3-3 to a 3-4-2-1.
And then a year on, he did the same at Juve, implementing the same formation to replace Thiago Motta's 4-2-3-1.
"He doesn't tend to play with too much width to begin with," Italian football commentator Patrick Kendrick told Sky Sports News.
"It was very successful with Hellas Verona, which was probably where he's been the biggest success.
"He had a free-scoring team with two number 10s playing behind a lone striker, but the back three is pretty in vogue in Italy, and it's looked at as a way of making sure you're solid first and foremost."
Souza eyes first start as Tudor reunites with Kolo Muani
If the 47-year-old adopts the same 3-4-2-1 tactic in his first Spurs game, then it poses plenty of questions.
With full-backs Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie injured, could January signing Souza be handed his first start at left wing-back? The Brazilian teenager was brought on in the defeat at Manchester United earlier this month and did not look out of place in his first game in English football.
Will Palhinha or Archie Gray be part of the back three? The pair have both played in that position at Spurs, but the Portugal international has featured in that role more often than Gray this season.
Which two midfielders will Tudor select? Palhinha and Gray are also in the conversation to start here, with Conor Gallagher, Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr his other options. This is where Tudor has some choices in a threadbare squad.
And will it be Randal Kolo Muani or Mathys Tel alongside Xavi Simons behind Dominic Solanke? Simons and Solanke feel like automatic selections, leaving one spot in the attack. Kolo Muani thrived under Tudor at Juve as he scored six goals in all competitions following his arrival in late March. The pair's reunion points to Tudor keeping faith with the forward, who is yet to score a Premier League goal.
Tudor: I like to play offensive football
What is 100 per cent certain is that Tudor has to build a system that offers far greater goal threat, with Frank's pragmatism and negativity playing a major part in his downfall.
And the ex-Marseille boss's first words will be music to the ears of the disgruntled Spurs fans.
"I like to be positive. I like to play offensive football. That's my first goal," he said.
"I like to score goals, but in the same way, you need to give organisation in defence, give the clear structure of what you want to play."
If Tudor is to have any chance of being in the running to keep the job beyond the end of the season, then entertaining football that pushes Spurs well away from trouble will go a long way in making his case.
"I believe in style - style is more important than the system," he said. "It's a very particular moment, so every club has its particularity, that is first as a culture of the club, which kind of football they like so it's always important to think about that.
"But in the same way, not to forget who I am, what I want the team to achieve, but thinking 'this player can do this', so I need to be with my staff, very intelligent, to find the best possible way to get out in a very short time."
Indeed, Tudor has just 12 Premier League matches to make the desired impact.
He did it in fewer games at Juve and Lazio, qualifying both sides for Europe in his nine games in charge. But this is a different task for the experienced manager at the other end of the table - and one that is going to test his tactical nous.
Your views on how Tudor will line-up vs Arsenal...
Alex: Tudor should use a 3-5-2. Have Kolo Muani up top with Solanke. Gray at the back and play Tel to the left. I strongly think Tudor can get the best out of Xavi, Tel and Kolo Muani.
OnlySpurs67: I reckon a 3-4-1-2 with Van de Ven, Spence and Gray at the back. Palhinha, Gallagher, Bissouma and Sarr in midfield, Xavi as the No. 10 and then the strike partnership of Solanke and Kolo Muani.
Spurs fan: I think he should play a 3-4-3 with Spence, Van de Ven and Gray in the defence, with a midfield of Palhinha, Gallagher, Simons and Sarr in midfield, then have Kolo Muani and Tel on the wings and have Solanke up top.
JO8: If Tudor is to stick with the three at the back, it needs to be a 3-4-2-1/3-4-3. GK-Vicario, CBs-Van de Ven, Dragusin, Palhinha; LWB-Souza, RWB-Spence; CMs- Sarr, Gallagher; Two 10s/wingers- Xavi, Kolo Muani; ST-Solanke.
MickyWeavs21: Souza looks exciting and a great young full-back so Tudor should play him and Spence on the flanks. I also reckon Tudor will start Kolo Muani because of his Juventus performances and links. And I absolutely loved Tudor's first interview at the club, his playing style is intense and fast something the Spurs supporters have been wanting for a long time. He demands no excuses for the players and expects his team to go all in for a win and that's what I like the most.
David: I don't think it's about the formation, it's more of a case of performance, effort and teamwork having the right mentality. If Igor can improve those things Spurs will move up the table.
Tom: I only know of Tudor through Football Manager! But that first interview was a breath of fresh air that we haven't seen since Ange. He seems to capture authority and has a sense of gravitas when he speaks. Frank is to us what Potter was to Chelsea.
Didjiemiles: I think Tudor has to show that he has a plan in attack. We've looked so clueless going forward and in possession that the only way we have a chance of results is by scoring goals. We certainly can't rely on keeping clean sheets!
Tottenham's next six games
Sunday: Arsenal (h), Premier League - kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
March 1: Fulham (a), Premier League - kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports
March 5: Crystal Palace (h), Premier League - kick-off 8pm
March 15: Liverpool (a), Premier League - kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
March 17/18: Champions League last 16, first leg (opponent TBC)
Tottenham head coach Igor Tudor insists there is “no time to find excuses” and vowed he will not play for draws as he aims to move the club away from relegation trouble.
Tudor was appointed as Spurs head coach on a deal until the end of the season.
The Croatian replaced Thomas Frank, who was sacked after an eight-game winless run, which has left Spurs 16th in the Premier League table and only five points above the drop zone.
Meet the 'firefighter' Tudor tasked with keeping Spurs up
Tottenham news & transfers⚪ | Spurs fixtures & scores
Got Sky? Watch Tottenham games LIVE on your phone📱
Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺
In his first interview since his appointment on Saturday, Tudor wants to inject "confidence" and "courage" into the underperforming side.
He told Spursplay: "The first priority is to give everything the team needs in these moments.
"The team needs, first of all, to get some confidence, to get some courage, but also in the same way, the concrete things in the pitch.
"I'm coming here knowing the situation is not easy. There is no time to find excuses.
"What I said from the first day here [is] each of us, each of the players need to give something more, something extra, because the position of the club in this moment is not [one] that anybody can accept. Every fan of Tottenham cannot accept the situation. We are aware of that, but it's not enough to just be aware of that."
'I've never seen a coach play for a draw'
The ex-Juventus boss faces a daunting first game in charge as Spurs host rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
But Tudor is only targeting victory in this weekend's north London derby.
"Big week, important games," he said. "This derby is a fantastic game to play. We want to play this game in a way that our fans will like.
"I'm going to give everything that we have in the right way, brave but in the same way intelligent and smart to achieve what we want, and that's the victory."
He later added: "And about winning or drawing, the truth is I never saw the coach who said that he can play for a draw. It's not possible.
"So offensive football, yes, but smart, that's the key."
Tudor: I need to find best system amid absentee crisis
Tudor has favoured three at the back and wing-backs during his managerial career, but the 47-year-old acknowledged Spurs' huge absentee list will force him to find "the best system".
He said: "I like to be positive. I like to play offensive football. That's my first goal. I like to score goals, but in the same way, you need to give organisation in defence, give the clear structure of what you want to play.
"The situation is not easy because we have a lot of injured players, so we need first to find the best system that suits the players that are available at this moment, so a very particular moment.
"Maybe this can sound strange, but I believe the thing we need to be focused on is the training. So the training from today, that's the key, because as I always like to say, Sunday and the game is a consequence of the training.
"The coach needs to show the path, where is the way we want to go, how we want to go, and the players need to accept this."
'Style is more important than system'
Tudor made a great impact at Lazio and Juventus recently, delivering an instant upturn in form miday through the season at the Serie A clubs.
The ex-Juve defender will be hoping to make a similar impact at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to ease fears of a first relegation to the second tier since 1977.
He said: "If you can run 115 kilometres as a team, it's better than 105. It doesn't mean that you have one player extra, so there is nothing strange to choose that direction.
"It's always about motivated players that understand this thing about running, about the physical aspect of football, which is sometimes not easy, but that without quality - you can do nothing.
"So technical skills, intelligence, to see, to recognise the situations on the pitch is always above everything, so you need to find a mix about things."
He added: "I believe in style - style is more important than the system. It's a very particular moment, so every club has its particularity, that is first as a culture of the club, which kind of football they like so it's always important to think about that.
"But in the same way, not to forget who I am, what I want the team to achieve, but thinking, 'this player can do this', so I need to be with my staff, very intelligent, to find the best possible way to get out in a very short time."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Chelsea did their best to block out the growing external noise by beating Liverpool 2-0 thanks to a special performance from Lauren James.
The forward has suffered various injury setbacks this season and is still trying to "rediscover her best form", as she put it post-match, but delivered a vintage display to set up the first goal and score Chelsea's second.
Her teasing cross was poked in by Sjoeke Nusken in the first half - another player with a point to prove - while the second was all of James' own making, drifting inside from wide and evading Fuka Nagano before lashing beyond Jennifer Falk.
Watch FREE WSL highlights | Live WSL table
Got Sky? Watch WSL games LIVE on your phone📱
Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺
The victory does as much for Chelsea's position in the table as it does to prove that harmony remains in camp after a turbulent period that has seen Paul Green, head of women's football, suddenly depart the club amid a poor run of results.
While head coach Sonia Bompastor was rewarded with a contract extension, Green has left his role after 13 years, without much of an explanation as to why. The Blues remain well off the pace at the top of the WSL but are in a decent position to finish inside the Champions League places.
They do, however, face stiff competition from Arsenal, who have two games in hand and are only four points adrift in fourth. The Gunners have lost the fewest games of any side all season.
Gaupset at heart of Spurs rout over Villa
Signe Gaupset is proving herself to be a wonderfully astute signing for Tottenham, at the heart of another victory as Martin Ho's side produced an astonishing 7-3 win over hapless Aston Villa.
The opener was started and finished by Gaupset, before Kirsty Hanson made it 1-1 shortly after. But Spurs were not in a charitable mood, hitting back through Bethany England and Olivia Holdt to take a 3-1 lead into the break.
Hanson and January recruit Oriane Jean-Francois found the net for Villa during a chaotic second half, but a frantic defensive performance handed all momentum to the visitors.
Cathinka Tandberg added two to her mounting tally for the season off the bench as Maika Hamano and latterly Julie Blakstad, who also created the most chances in the game (6), attached their names to the scoresheet.
Twice Villa got themselves to within a goal of Spurs only to concede again moments later. The 10-goal thriller might have provided plenty of entertainment for those 2,500 fans inside Villa Park but was a horrible indictment of how open Natalia Arroyo's side are in transition.
Spurs managed 27 efforts on goal, 12 of them on target, and scored seven times from an xG value of just 2.80. Arroyo will be aware of the consequences of a performance such as that - Villa have lost four of five in 2026.
In-form Man Utd comeback beats London City
Manchester United came from behind to beat London City Lionesses and extending their winning WSL run to four games.
It was the visitors who began better though, and took advantage inside six minutes. Former Man Utd forward Nikita Parris nodded home from Freya Godfrey's cross as the hosts struggled to contain the pair.
London City had a series of chances to extend their lead in the aftermath too, and will rue their misses.
It took a moment of magic to drag Man Utd level, and it was Park who provided it - as she has done so often this season. She skipped past her defender on the left, driving to the top of the box before unleashing an unstoppable strike.
The second half meandered somewhat, but Man Utd sealed the win late on. Maya Le Tissier swung in a great free kick, with Millie Turner free in the middle to flick her header home.
Marc Skinner's side maintain their spot in second place, a point ahead of Chelsea and five ahead of Arsenal, who now have two games in hand.
Everton extend winning run with Hammers win
Everton extended their winning WSL run to three games as they beat West Ham 1-0 at Goodison Park.
Honoka Hayashi tucked home Hannah Blundell's cross at the back post inside eight minutes, and West Ham were unable to recover.
Everton move into eighth place on 17 points - level with Brighton - while the Hammers are two points clear of the relegation spot.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player