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Tottenham vs Aston Villa live: Unai Emery’s side face Premier League test after political storm

Villa will see league victory after being caught up in a political storm over their Europa League tie against Maccabi Tel Aviv

Tottenham will bid to extend their unbeaten run and keep up their pursuit at the top of the Premier League table as Aston Villa, fresh from being caught up in a political storm, visit London.

Spurs have not lost in their last seven games, and will hope to again close the gap to league leaders Arsenal to just two points after their north London rivals beat Fulham yesterday evening. Their early fixture list had, perhaps, fallen kindly, though, and building momentum over the next few weeks will be key if Thomas Frank’s side are to maintain a relatively strong start.

Villa will represent a useful test of their progress as Unai Emery seeks improvements from his squad across a tricky little period. Clashes with Manchester City and Liverpool are to come for a club which has spent much of this week dealing with off-field matters surrounding their Europa League tie with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Follow all of the latest from Villa Park with our live blog below:

Thomas Frank wants Spurs fans to play part in turning stadium into a fortress

Thomas Frank wants to make Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a fortress but knows it will take “unbelievable cohesion” with the fans to achieve.

Spurs host Aston Villa eager to arrest their woeful home form in the Premier League, with only three top-flight wins in 2025.

The majority of a dismal run of three home wins in 17 league games came under Frank’s predecessor Ange Postecoglou, who struggled with an injury crisis at the start of the year before he prioritised Europa League success over domestic matters.

However, Frank’s short tenure has produced mixed results at the club’s 62,850-seater stadium, with boos audible after a defeat to Bournemouth in August and following a frustrating 1-1 draw with Wolves last month.

Thomas Frank wants Spurs fans to play part in turning stadium into a fortress

Spurs have won only three of their last 17 Premier League home matches.

Harry Latham-Coyle19 October 2025 11:30

Why are we afraid to say that football fans can be truly terrifying?

Violence at football is usually performative rather than actual, says Jim White, but there are fixtures where the swelling anger can boil into something dark.

Why are we afraid to say that football fans can be truly terrifying?

Violence at football is usually performative rather than actual, says Jim White, but there are fixtures where the swelling anger can boil into something dark

Jim White19 October 2025 11:20

Israeli football fan ban is a huge own goal

Editorial: The decision to bar fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv from England’s second city is a mess, but we must take care not to let this disgrace become a disaster:

Israeli football fan ban is a huge own goal

Editorial: The decision to bar fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv from England’s second city is a mess, but we must take care not to let this disgrace become a disaster

The Independent19 October 2025 11:15

Ministers doing ‘everything in our power’ to let Maccabi fans attend Villa match

The Government is exploring what extra support police in Birmingham would need to allow fans from both sides into Aston Villa’s match against Maccabi Tel Aviv in November, a spokesman said.

Pressure has been mounting to overturn the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters attending the Europa League match.

The Government is working to make sure the match can go ahead with all fans allowed to attend, a spokesman said.

Ministers doing ‘everything in our power’ to let Maccabi fans attend Villa match

Pressure has been mounting to overturn the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending the club’s Europa League match against Aston Villa.

Harry Latham-Coyle19 October 2025 11:07

Aston Villa return to action after political storm

It’s been a strange and probably taxing week for plenty at Aston Villa, caught up in a political storm after announcing that they had been advised to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending their Europa League tie next month. Here’s the full story.

Home Office told last week that Maccabi fans may face ban for Villa match, police say

Sir Keir Starmer will do ‘everything in his power’ to overturn the controversial ban, according to his spokesperson

Harry Latham-Coyle19 October 2025 11:00

Tottenham vs Aston Villa live

After rivals Arsenal went back to the top of the Premier League table last night, Tottenham will hope to close the gap to two points as they look to continue a seven-match unbeaten run in a meeting with Aston Villa - but the hosts’ dismal home form in 2025 will give the visitors hope of a win on the road after a week dominated by the political storm surrounding their Europa League tie with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Kick off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is at 2pm BST.

Harry Latham-Coyle19 October 2025 08:27

Tottenham seek to close the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal when they take to the field to face Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.

Thomas Frank’s side have got off to a fine start winning four, drawing two and losing just one of their seven top-flight games this season but they know that the pressure never lets up for teams partaking in a title race. Spurs sit just two points behind the Gunners heading into the weekend with Liverpool sandwiched in between the two London sides.

A 2-1 victory over Leeds before the international break ended Tottenham’s run of draws in the league and they will be looking to build on that momentum against a resurgent Aston Villa.

Unai Emery’s side suffered a terrible start to the year going five games without a win before taking victory in their last two league games. Those wins have shot them up to 13th in the table but they will want to distance themselves from the relegation zone and force their way into the top half.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of this encounter.

When is Tottenham vs Aston Villa?

Tottenham’s clash with Aston Villa in the Premier League kicks off at 2:00pm BST on Sunday 19 October at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the UK can watch the match on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 1pm BST. Subscribers can also stream the match online via NOWTV.

If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

Team news

Thomas Frank confirmed that Randal Kolo Muani is in contention to feature for Spurs having trained with the team over the last two weeks. Dominic Solanke remains absent through injury but is progressing well and Yves Bissouma will be out for ‘a few weeks’ due to a ligament issue in his ankle.

Aston Villa are worried over the fitness of Ollie Watkins who picked up a knock after colliding with the post during England’s 3-0 win over Wales in the international break. Youri Tielemans remains out and will be until November but Jadon Sancho, Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings could all be fit enough to start on the bench.

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kudus, Simons, Johnson; Tel

Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Bogarde, Kamara, McGinn; Malen, Rogers, Watkins

Odds

Tottenham to win - 23/20

Draw - 27/10

Aston Villa to win - 5/2

The Independent vets betting sites for useability, security and responsible gambling tools.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa betting tips

Tottenham host Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon with both looking to pick up from where they left off before the international break (2pm, Sky Sports Main Event).

Thomas Frank’s side are progressing nicely since the former Brentford boss took over in the summer with Spurs sitting third in the table ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, look to have overcome their early struggles and have recorded back-to-back league wins after a run of five top-flight matches without victory.

Both teams are in good touch and are building momentum, though their current aims are wide apart. Spurs are just two points off league leaders Arsenal, while Villa are hoping to distance themselves from the relegation zone and move into the top half of the table, leading to betting sites pegging the hosts as favourites to triumph in this clash.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa preview: Spurs to halt Villa progress

Liverpool’s recent poor form has given a lifeline to the chasing pack after the Premier League champions began the season with a run of five straight wins.

Tottenham are hoping to take advantage of that, though they are still huge outsiders for the title in the Premier League odds at 40/1 compared to close rivals Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City.

However, Spurs are being backed to maintain their decent start with football betting sites, who expect Frank’s men to end Aston Villa’s recent good run.

That confidence will stem from Tottenham’s success in front of goal, where it has been seven matches across all competitions since they failed to score at least once in a game.

Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus were on target in their previous outing as Spurs beat Leeds 2-1 at Elland Road with the summer additions settling nicely into the team.

For their part, Villa have also had an eye for goal with their scoring streak hitting six matches last time out in a 2-1 win over Burnley.

Unai Emery’s side have bagged five goals in their last two league games, though they have also conceded goals in five of their seven top-flight fixtures so far, which perhaps points to defensive vulnerabilities.

As such, Premier League betting sites go no bigger than 3/4 on both teams scoring on Sunday.

We see better value in pairing both teams to score with a Spurs win, a wager that landed last term when Tottenham won this fixture 4-1.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa prediction 1: Tottenham to win & BTTS - 3/1 William Hill

Tottenham vs Aston Villa best bets: Malen given opportunity to impress again

Ollie Watkins is the clear number one striker in Aston Villa’s side but a slow start to the season has seen the England forward score just once in the league during the new campaign.

A knock to his shin while on duty with England also raises doubts about his availability and he was withdrawn from international duty early as a precaution.

That potential injury to the 29-year-old means Villa could be looking elsewhere for goals on Sunday, with Donyell Malen a candidate after his brace against Burnley last time out.

Malen’s appearances for Villa have been short this season with just two starts in seven games but his impact against the Clarets was match-winning and he will likely be afforded another opportunity to influence proceedings at Spurs.

Even if others are prefered ahead of him, Malen should make an appearance off the bench and with the 26-year-old aiming to impress, he seems a valuable option on betting sites as an anytime goalscorer.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa prediction 2: Donyell Malen to score anytime - 4/1 Bet365

Tottenham vs Aston Villa team news

Tottenham vs Aston Villa predicted line ups

Tottenham vs Aston Villa free bets

Straight after Tottenham’s clash against Aston Villa on Sunday is one of the standout fixtures in any Premier League season as Liverpool host Manchester United.

NetBet are marking the occasion by boosting the odds on a goal being scored in the clash at Anfield to 30/1.

This offer is only available to new customers who sign up using the link below and enter the NetBet bonus code EPL30. After registering, make a first deposit of £10 or more and then wager a maximum of £1 on over 0.5 goals at the normal odds in the Liverpool vs Manchester United match market.

Winning bets will be paid in cash and topped up with 6 x £5 free bets to make the returns up to 30/1.

Responsible gambling

If you plan to have a bet on Tottenham vs Aston Villa, make sure to gamble responsibly.

It’s vital that bettors take steps to remain in control of their time and budget when using gambling sites. The same applies whether you’re using online bookmakers, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.

Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.

It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets UK or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.

You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.

You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Thomas Frank wants to make Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a fortress but knows it will take “unbelievable cohesion” with the fans to achieve.

Spurs host Aston Villa on Sunday eager to arrest their woeful home form in the Premier League, with only three top-flight wins in 2025.

The majority of a dismal run of three home wins in 17 league games came under Frank’s predecessor Ange Postecoglou, who struggled with an injury crisis at the start of the year before he prioritised Europa League success over domestic matters.

However, Frank’s short tenure has produced mixed results at the club’s 62,850-seater stadium, with boos audible after a defeat to Bournemouth in August and following a frustrating 1-1 draw with Wolves last month.

The 52-year-old is determined to enjoy more home triumphs like against Burnley and Villarreal but knows both players and fans must play their part.

Asked if Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was too “nice” to become a fortress, Frank said: “It shouldn’t be.

“Haven’t they thought a lot about the acoustics in the stadium, so it should sound very loud when the fans are behind the team? I guess that’s part of it.

“I think if we have that cohesion and energy between fans and team, I think there will be unbelievable sound and noise and energy in the stadium that hopefully can push us forward.

“We would like our home to be a fortress. That is the ultimate aim. Can we make our home an unbelievably difficult place to come to? Then you know the job is half done in terms of what you like to try to achieve.

“And that is like an unbelievable cohesion between the team and the fans and that needs to go hand in hand. It cannot only be the team, it cannot only be the fans. It needs to be both and we need to bring energy to each other.

“That is absolutely key and we need to do everything that we can to work unbelievably hard, perform well, try to be positive, all that, but also need a little bit of help because football in every game goes a little bit up and down, so we need the fans, especially in the tough moments.

“The better they can be behind the team – and it’s not easy – the better it will be and they will have and feel more success for the team.

“So we need that, but when our fans are behind the team and the stadium is rocking, I think it’s one of the best places in the world.”

Randal Kolo Muani (dead leg) could be involved on Sunday after he played 45 minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Watford on October 10.

“It’s very important to have him fit and available. I think he looks better and better,” Frank said.

“It’s fair to say he needs a little bit of time to get up to fully firing.”

Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke are unavailable.

A collection of jerseys from Northern Ireland football legend Pat Jennings has sold for over twice its expected value at auction.

The football memorabilia, totalling around 165 items, included pieces from his time at Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

The iconic goalkeeper represented Northern Ireland in 119 international matches across a career spanning more than 22 years.

Jennings, 80, had previously remarked that it felt like the right time to sell, adding that he had kept a few items for himself.

During his career, he played for his native Newry Town and then Watford before moving to the first division with Tottenham Hotspur and then Arsenal, winning the FA Cup with both of the north London rivals.

The auction, hosted by English firm Budds, brought in more than £400,000 on Wednesday.

It had previously been estimated to fetch around £200,000.

Those snapping up the items included 100 foreign buyers from across the world, as well as those within the UK.

Budds said a new record was achieved for a UK goalkeeper’s shirt after Jennings’ blue Spurs v Norwich City match-worn goalkeeper’s shirt from 1973 sold for £33,480.

Among the many magic Jennings moments included a famous goal against Manchester United in the 1967 Charity Shield, when he kicked the ball from his own penalty area to see it bounce over the head of Manchester United goalkeeper Alex Stepney and into the net.

The items sold included Jennings’ green Spurs v Aston Villa League Cup Final match-worn goalkeeper’s shirt from 1971 for £21,800, and his green Spurs v Chelsea FA Cup Final match-worn goalkeeper’s shirt from 1967 for £20,600.

The lots also included shirts from other players such as a George Best green and white number seven Northern Ireland worn long-sleeved shirt from 1976 which sold for £20,600 and a Luis Arconada light blue and black Spain match-worn goalkeepers shirt from 1982 which sold for £16,700.

David Convery of Budds Auctions said they were honoured to be entrusted with selling the collection.

“This single owner auction will offered many different collectors the opportunity to own a piece of history from one of the greatest goalkeepers in football’s history,” he said.

“A record breaking goalkeeper, both internationally and domestically, Pat continues to generate admiration both on and off the field, and now this sale has continued his ability to generate excitement.”

Follow live football coverage with The Independent today.

Whether it’s Premier League, Champions League, a European Championship or the World Cup we will keep you up to date with everything you need to know.

We will have all the latest scores, goals and updates plus analysis and reaction throughout the game here.

Follow all the latest in the live blog below:

Tottenham’s majority owner ENIC, which is run by the Lewis family, has injected £100m of new capital into the club.

The announcement on Thursday morning is the latest statement of intent by the Lewis family, which invited Daniel Levy to step down as chairman on 4 September in an effort to achieve more on-field success at Spurs.

Three expressions of interest in buying a stake in Premier League club Tottenham have been “unequivocally rejected” during the last month by the Lewis family Trust and further funds are available to help Thomas Frank.

A source close to the family told PA: “This is initial additional funding.

“As the club’s management decides what’s needed to deliver success, more money will be available. The Lewis family is committed to backing the club to be successful.”

A statement on the official club website claimed “this equity injection will further strengthen the club’s financial position and equip the club’s leadership team with additional resources to continue the focus on driving long-term sporting success”.

New Spurs boss Frank has made a strong start to life in north London, winning six of his opening 11 matches in charge and guiding the club to third in the Premier League going into the October international break.

Peter Charrington, who was named non-executive chairman in the wake of Levy’s sudden departure, said: “As I stated a few weeks ago, our focus is on stability and empowering the management team to deliver on the club’s ambitions.

“I know the Lewis family are also ambitious for the future. Today’s capital commitment reflects that ambition and I would like to thank them for their ongoing support.

“We will continue to do all we can to ensure that Vinai (Venkatesham, CEO) and his team are supported in the best way possible to take this club forward.”

PA

A consortium led by American tech entrepreneur Brooklyn Earick will no longer make a bid for Tottenham.

An expression of interest by Earick’s consortium, which was reportedly ready to launch a £4.5billion takeover bid, was “unequivocally rejected” by ENIC, which is run by the Lewis family Trust, on September 26.

On Monday, it was confirmed via the London Stock Exchange that Earick had pulled out of the running, which was welcomed by the Lewis family Trust, who again reiterated a long-term commitment to Spurs. This news follows Asia-based consortium Firehawk Holdings Limited also ruling out a bid.

“The Board of Tottenham Hotspur Limited (the “club”) notes the recent announcements from the Firehawk and Mr Earick’s consortiums that they do not intend to make an offer for the club,” a statement on London Stock Exchange read.

“The Board thanks them for the constructive approach taken in the discussions with the club’s and the Lewis family’s representatives and respecting the clear position of the Lewis family that the club is not for sale.

“Following the announcements made by the consortiums, the club is no longer in an offer period under the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers.”

It was announced at the start of September that Spurs’ majority owners ENIC had “unequivocally rejected” two expressions of interest in acquiring the north London club, with one from a consortium of investors led by Dr Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk.

Amanda Staveley’s PCP International Finance immediately confirmed via the London Stock Exchange on September 8 that it did not intend to make an offer for Tottenham and Firehawk confirmed its intentions on October 3.

This left a consortium led by Earick as the only public interested party in Tottenham, but he has withdrawn his interest in the Premier League club.

ENIC, run by the Lewis family Trust, owns almost 87 per cent of Tottenham, but due to the remaining shares being publicly traded, the club is subject to the UK Takeover Code. This means any expression of interest or bid must be lodged with the Takeover Code panel and made public.

Since Daniel Levy was invited to step down after 24 years as chairman on September 4 by majority owners ENIC there have been three expressions of interest to buy Tottenham, but the Lewis family Trust insists the club are not for sale.

A source close to the Lewis family told the PA news agency on September 26: “This unsolicited and unnecessary interest does nothing to change the family’s resolve and commitment to do whatever it takes to drive success on the pitch. The club is not for sale.”

Carson Wentz picked out Jordan Addison with 30 seconds remaining as the Minnesota Vikings snatched a dramatic 21-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in Sunday’s NFL contest in London.

The Browns had been on course for victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after a touchdown from David Njoku gave them a 17-14 lead in the third quarter.

The Vikings had led earlier after replying to a Harold Fannin touchdown and Andre Szymt field goal with scores from Josh Oliver and Jordan Mason.

Addison had the final say on a 12-yard pass from Wentz, lifting the Vikings to 3-2 in NFC North, while the Browns slip to 1-4 in AFC North.

Thomas Frank said he was delighted with his side’s battling qualities after they dug in for a hard-fought 2-1 Premier League win at Leeds.

Mohammed Kudus struck Tottenham’s winner just before the hour-mark after Leeds winger Noah Okafor had cancelled out Mathys Tel’s opener.

The Londoners made it four top-flight wins under Frank this season and inflicted on Leeds their first league defeat at Elland Road in over a year.

Frank said: “I think if you want to build any successful team you need mentality and character and cohesion and togetherness.

“No matter if you play like Inter or Barcelona or whatever style of play, you need that willingness to do everything to win, and I think we are building that more and more in the team.”

Both sides created plenty of chances, while Tottenham were never comfortable despite twice taking the lead, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario denying Joel Piroe in stoppage time with a fine one-handed save.

But Frank’s side, who fought back to draw 2-2 in Norway against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League in midweek, have now lost only one of their 11 matches in all competitions since the Dane replaced Ange Postecoglou in June.

When asked if he was pleased with his start to life as Spurs boss, Frank said:“Yes of course I am. I think 14 points in seven. You know, that’s very good.

“So that’s all it is, a start. I’m extremely happy that we now on the road have won three and (got) a draw, which I think that’s part of that.

“If you want to achieve anything, you need to do that.”

Although Leeds fought back to level through Okafor’s second goal of the season and hit a post through Joe Rodon’s first-half header, Frank felt his side carried the greater threat.

He added: “We created two goals and (had) all the very good and dangerous situations and chances. So I’m very happy with that.”

Leeds were last beaten at home in the league by Burnley in September last year and head coach Daniel Farke disagreed with Franks’s assessment.

“I have to say, just many compliments to my players for this performance, because after this game, I would be normally disappointed with drawing, not even to speak about a loss,” Farke said.

“We were the better side today. We were the better side in all aspects. We had more possession, we had more passes, we had more expected goals. We had more shots. We had more big chances.”

Leeds, undone by stoppage-time goals in recent hard-fought games against Fulham and Bournemouth, slipped to their third league defeat of the season.

“If you always dominate games and don’t win points it will be difficult,” Farke added.

“But I can’t just pray for results. What I can do with my lads is deliver performances and this is what we did today – but we have to take our chances.”