The Spurs Web

Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action this Sunday with a challenging test against an in-form Aston Villa.

Following a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup, Spurs will be looking to build on their momentum in the league. Despite some recent inconsistency, Ange Postecoglou’s side have shown moments of real quality this season, and they’ll be eager to put on a show for the home crowd.

Aston Villa, led by Unai Emery, arrive with ambitions of their own, looking to bounce back after their Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace. Known for their disciplined structure and ability to strike on the break, Villa will look to use their strengths to cause problems for Spurs, setting up an intriguing clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

What time does Tottenham v Aston Villa kick-off?

How both teams go into Tottenham v Aston Villa

Tottenham approach this fixture with a mix of recent results, having narrowly lost to Crystal Palace in the league before delivering a spirited 2-1 win against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup. Though Postecoglou’s men have battled with consistency, their undefeated home form adds confidence as they face Villa.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, have shown strength on the road, maintaining an unbeaten record in their last six away matches. With a full squad available, Emery’s team will be eager to carry forward their strong league form, ready to challenge Spurs in a high-stakes clash.

Tottenham Team News

Spurs face some potential absences, with Micky van de Ven expected to sit out due to a hamstring strain suffered against Manchester City. Wilson Odobert is sidelined with a hamstring injury from training, and Djed Spence is doubtful as he continues to recover from a groin issue.

Cristian Romero and Timo Werner, both substituted early midweek, are under close watch for recovery; Romero experienced some muscle tightness, while Werner appeared to have a minor groin concern.

MORE SPURS STORIES

The good news is captain Heung-min Son is hopefully ready to start once again and return to the action after having missed the last 2 games.

Aston Villa Team News

Villa have no injury issues ahead of this game, giving Emery a full selection to choose from. With key players like Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran available, Villa will be confident in putting their best foot forward as they look to maintain their unbeaten away streak.

Predicted Tottenham Line-Up

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

Our Prediction

This match promises to be a tactical battle, with Spurs likely to press high and look for opportunities to create overloads in the final third. Postecoglou’s squad employs a high-octane, aggressive style, prioritising intense pressing and quick ball recovery to create goal-scoring chances. However, this style of play proves to be less effective against teams that sit deep, closing down spaces and limiting creative opportunities.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, are adept at counter-attacking, with a methodical approach in defence that doesn’t force play unnecessarily. They favour direct passes into spaces behind the opposition’s backline, unafraid of risking possession in order to craft high-reward opportunities.

Spurs will need to capitalise on turnovers, using their central midfield to intercept and initiate swift counters, as Villa’s defensive structure transitions to a low block that becomes particularly challenging to break once they take the lead.

Furthermore, Spurs’ backline must remain vigilant against Jhon Duran, who averages 2.3 shots on target per match and could pose a considerable threat to Vicario’s goal. With both teams excelling in attack, the game is likely to feature plenty of action on both ends, with Tottenham’s home advantage giving them a slight edge.

Leon Osman says Ange Postecoglou did something that he does not normally do after seeing his side deliver a lacklustre performance against Crystal Palace.

Tottenham’s worst display of the season

One can make the case that Spurs’ showing at Selhurst Park was their worst of the season so far.

While the Lilywhites have had periods of dominance in all of their other matches, even the ones they have lost, they failed to get going against the Eagles and struggled to create opportunities.

Postecoglou was visibly angry during his post-match media duties, giving a spiky response to one reporter’s question. The Australian said he’d be ‘very surprised’ if the travelling supporters were ‘happy’, to which a reporter said (via talkSPORT): “Because you’re not happy, obviously”.

The question evidently struck a nerve with Postecoglou, who fired back: “Why would I be happy? Is there a question there? Why would I be happy about today when our supporters, so our supporters are unhappy, I’m unhappy, the players are unhappy, I think that’s a fair assessment.”

Leon Osmon on Postecoglou’s frustration

Osmon admitted that he had never seen the Tottenham head coach’s frustrations boil over as they did after the game on Sunday.

He suggested that the 59-year-old would have been particularly upset by the fact that his players did not work as hard as their Palace counterparts.

MORE SPURS STORIES

The former Everton man told Premier League Productions: “You show character in those moments, and I’ve never seen him as frosty as that in interviews. You can be outplayed at times, the opposition can show more quality.

“But they better not outwork us or show more bottle, and that seems like where he’s very disappointed with his team.”

Lack of fight is now a pattern for Spurs

This was the second away game in a row where the Tottenham players simply could not cope with the opposition’s intensity once the home side built momentum and got the crowd on their side.

While some brushed the second-half showing against Brighton as a rare anomaly, the display against Palace showed that it is indeed a fundamental issue that needs to be addressed.

Micky van de Ven pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury in midweek, and the Spurs defender has now posted on Instagram to offer some insight into his situation.

A tearful Micky van de Ven limps off

Ange Postecoglou decided to play Micky van de Ven from the start against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup this week, opting to play the Dutchman at left-back.

However, van de Ven’s night lasted just 14 minutes before he suffered a strain in his hamstring, and had to be replaced by Destiny Udogie.

Speaking after the win over City, Postecoglou said: “Micky felt something in his hamstring. I haven’t got the full update on him but he definitely felt something and we’ll see how he is.”

During the broadcast of the game on Sky Sports Main Event (30/10/24 at 20:56), pundit Alan Smith suggested the fact van de Ven returned to the bench after vacating the field was a positive sign.

According to the reputable Physio Scout, van de Ven showed signs of tightness and, if that’s all the injury is, he may be out for less than a week, but the worst-case scenario would see the defender out for up to six weeks.

Van de Ven will be ‘back soon’

It is still unclear how long van de Ven will be out, but the player himself has offered a clue on Instagram, and we would assume it means he will at the very least miss the Aston Villa game this weekend.

The 23-year-old posted a rather sombre black and white photo of himself, with the caption “Be back soon.” Given the dramatic tone of the post, it’s unlikely he will be making a rapid return to action.

See you after the international break, Micky

Our best-educated guess would be that van de Ven will be out until late November, and we wouldn’t expect to see him playing for Spurs again until after the international break. The Europa League game against Roma on 28 November could be a good date for his return.

Louis Saha explains why Tottenham Hotspur fans should not be panicking just yet and what he thinks of the job that Ange Postecoglou has done at the club so far.

Ange Postecoglou is now a man under pressure

Postecoglou has certainly not been shy of talking up Tottenham’s ambitions this season but his stated goal of competing at the top end of the table and winning silverware now appears far-fetched.

Spurs’ away record continues to be extremely poor and there are now an increasing number of fans and pundits questioning whether the Australian is the right man to take the Lilywhites to the next level.

With Tottenham now set to embark on a tough run of fixtures, the 59-year-old now faces a tricky challenge to get his side back on track.

Louis Saha’s confident claim

However, Saha is still a big fan of Postecoglou, insisting that the former Celtic boss has got a lot of his decisions right since taking over at N17.

The Frenchman is confident that Tottenham are going to be involved in the race for the top four spots this season, backing his former club to bounce back from their current predicament.

When asked if Postecoglou is under pressure and where he thinks Spurs will finish, Saha told Betfred: “I really like his style as a manager and his communication skills are right. His identity is clear and the players under him have improved.

MORE SPURS STORIES

“He’s brought in young players that have done well for him, such as Brennan Johnson, and there are a lot of things that he’s done well. I still believe Tottenham are going to be in the race for the top four and I believe fifth is the minimum requirement for Spurs.

“It’s a difficult Premier League season for everybody, but I do have a lot of faith in Postecoglou. Bad results happen, but I do believe Tottenham will bounce back.”

Transition was never going to be smooth

This transitionary phase was always going to be a bumpy ride and there have undoubtedly been major improvements in Postecoglou’s second season in charge, even though they have not always translated into results.

However, football is a results-based industry and the pressure on the Tottenham head coach will undoubtedly grow if he does not manage to quickly steady the ship.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes that a full sale of Tottenham Hotspur is unlikely in the near future and offers his opinion on whether Daniel Levy will relinquish power.

Talks being held over minority investment

It has been widely reported over the last few months that talks are taking place between Amanda Staveley, who is backed by a group of investors from the Middle East, and Levy regarding a minority takeover of Spurs.

It has been claimed that Staveley has raised £500m to buy a 25 per cent stake in the North London club (Football Insider).

Some Spurs fans will be hoping that such an investment is a precursor to a full sale of Tottenham, but Maguire is not so that will be the case.

Kieran Maguire explains Daniel Levy’s plans

Maguire believes that Levy will not give up his position as Spurs chairman anytime soon. The finance expert suggests that the 62-year-old will want to cement his legacy and predicts that he will not walk away from the club until they win a trophy or two.

Maguire told TBR Football: “Levy is in no hurry to move on. He is an immovable object and he is a Spurs fan. He wants validation for his project and that will only come when Spurs win a trophy or two.

“It could be a very long wait before he is ready to sell. That said, I think they have a fair chance of the Europa League this year.”

MORE SPURS STORIES

Spurs in favour of proposed financial restrictions

Maguire also discussed Tottenham’s stance on the Premier League’s proposal of capping clubs’ expenditure wages, transfer and agent fees to 85 per cent of revenue next season.

Further, the body are also working on an ‘anchoring system’ that will tie their spending to a four or five times multiple of the bottom-placed club’s TV revenue.

That proposal has been challenged by the PFA as being a de-facto salary cap, but Maguire believes that Tottenham will lend their support to the Premier League’s proposals.

He remarked: “Spurs will be perfectly happy with the anchoring system. On a five-time multiple, Spurs could spend an extra £198m before they would be in breach.

“This is very much aimed at Man City because they derive almost 50 per cent of their income from commercial. This is a backdoor attempt to remove a significant financial advantage that Man City have over Spurs and their other rivals.

“Also, it is probably an attempt to put a spoke in Newcastle’s wheel too. Spurs have lots of headroom which gives them lots of flexibility. They can take advantage of opportunities when they arise.

“They wouldn’t be among the clubs in a fire sale situation as we saw in the summer of 2024. Spurs weren’t in that situation under the existing rules despite the fact that they have made losses in recent years.”

Jamie Donley is facing a rather unenviable situation at Leyton Orient, with the rules forcing the League One side to leave him out of the matchday squad.

Jamie Donley has not had the expected impact

Donley is thought of as one of the best young talents currently in the Tottenham academy, with the youngster being one of the standout players across Premier League 2 last season.

However, he has not managed to hit the ground running so far at Orient, having started less than half of their league games so far this season and still yet to produce a goal or assist for his new club (Transfermarkt).

The 19-year-old is now having to cope with another big challenge as he tries to force himself back into the plans of manager Richie Wellens.

EFL rules working against Donley

Donley has failed to even make the matchday squad for the O’s last two games against Wycombe and Rotherham.

Football.London have now explained why that is the case, revealing that the League One club are currently over the limit for the number of loan players allowed.

Orient currently have six players on loan while the EFL only allows five to be named in the matchday squad, and Donley has been the unlucky one to miss out as a result.

Tottenham will be reconsidering decision

Given Orient’s issues with loan players, Spurs will be seriously considering recalling Donley in January and loaning him to another EFL club for the second half of the season.

The Lilywhites have a good relationship with the O’s, and one would thus expect the two clubs to be in regular contact over the attacking midfielder’s situation.

Retirement has posed no obstacle to former Chelsea player, Didier Drogba, in maintaining a bitterness towards Tottenham Hotspur. Even when complimenting current Spurs captain Heung-min Son, Drogba cannot resist getting in a jibe.

Drogba was a thorn in Spurs’ side

Tottenham fans are unlikely to look back on Didier Drogba’s playing career too fondly. He was an ever-present feature within Chelsea FC’s most successful period as a club from 2004 to 2015, where Chelsea finished above Tottenham in 10 out of those 11 Premier League seasons.

During that decade, out of the 19 times Drogba faced Tottenham Hotspur, he was on the losing side on only four occasions. One of those was Tottenham’s memorable win in the final of the League Cup, but more often than not, Drogba was a thorn in Tottenham’s side.

It seems even since his retirement in 2018, Drogba is unable to let the rivalry go. When talking about Tottenham’s current players, he is unable to resist the urge to mock the club and remain neutral.

‘Son’s only problem…’

In a recent interview for EA FC, Didier Drogba was sat alongside other retired footballing legends Alessandro Del Piero and Kaká. There was a discussion around the Spurs captain, where Kaká praised the Tottenham winger for his ability and noticeably lauded Heung-min Son for staying “at a big club like Tottenham”.

This line prompted a visceral facial reaction from Drogba, who, when given the opportunity to comment said: “I think the only problem with him [Heung-min Son] is he’s playing for Tottenham”.

He continued: “But apart from that, he’s a great player, he’s become a great leader for the national team and Tottenham.

MORE SPURS STORIES

“It’s good to see him play the way he does because he’s so genuine, like the way he carries himself on the pitch – I like it.”

This statement garnered laughter from Del Piero and Kaká, who had just complimented the club. The reaction is indicative that this kind of jibe is fundamentally light-hearted and a regular occurrence amongst fans of rival teams.

Why would Drogba think any differently?

Didier Drogba is of course likely to hold the opinion that Tottenham are incomparable to his former side. He arrived in the Premier League at the start of the Abramovich era when the former Chelsea owner began to use his controversial personal wealth to dominate English football.

The former striker is likely very proud of his on-field accomplishments. Playing a part in taking Chelsea a long way down the road from winning a total of 13 trophies in the first 100 years of their existence (before Abramovich), through to today where they have increased that total to 34.

The history of English clubs is unlikely to hold much relevance when discussing the stature of clubs, as they can only be judged in the here and now. Chelsea are currently sitting comfortably above Tottenham in the Premier League table and are flowing under Enzo Maresca.

The necessity to look backwards may only come when the Premier League concludes their investigation into how exactly Abramovich funded their success over the last two decades, and judge whether they adhered to the rules of Financial Fair Play.

Son is a generational talent who could have played for any club in Europe over the last few years. If Chelsea had perhaps chosen to swoop in while he was at Bayer Leverkusen and offer wages few other clubs could even consider matching, in a similar manner to their approach with Eden Hazard and Willian, then maybe Son could have shared in some of Chelsea’s well-earned club success instead.

Alan Smith points out one potential reason why the Micky van de Ven injury might not be as serious as some people fear.

Spurs fans’ heart sank when Micky van de Ven came off

Van de Ven came off clutching his hamstring in the first half of Tottenham’s 2-1 Carabao Cup win on Wednesday. The centre-back only lasted 14 minutes on the pitch.

Everyone associated with Spurs would have feared the worst when they saw the Dutchman walk off the pitch holding his hamstring, with the player seemingly distraught.

Given the history that the 23-year-old has had with hamstring injuries, there is always a risk that he could be sidelined for a lengthy period.

Alan Smith suggests one reason for optimism

However, Smith believes that the injury might not be as serious as the player or the Tottenham medical staff might have initially feared.

The former Arsenal man pointed out that Van de Ven came back out to sit on the bench in the second half, suggesting that he might have not done so if it had been a major injury.

While commentating on the game, Smith said on Sky Sports main event (30/10/24 at 20:56) about the centre-back: “He’s come back out on a chilly night… must be a good sign.”

MORE SPURS STORIES

Typically, the medial team would want to work on any serious injury, and would at least want to keep the muscles warm. The fact that Van de Ven came back out to sit on the bench could be seen as a positive sign that it isn’t a muscle tear or serious issue.

Ange Postecoglou faces a nervous wait

Ange Postecoglou and everyone associated with Tottenham will be extremely nervous as they wait for the results of Van de Ven’s scan.

With the former Wolfsburg man’s recovery pace being a crucial component of the high line that Spurs play, it would be a substantial blow for the Lilywhites if the defender is ruled out for a couple of months.

Guglielmo Vicario has confessed that Tottenham Hotspur have to improve one part of their game significantly if they are to become more consistent.

Deflating loss against Crystal Palace

The 1-0 defeat to Palace has been particularly deflating for everyone associated with Spurs, due to the nature of the loss.

Prior to Sunday, Tottenham have had spells of complete dominance in almost all of the games that they have lost this season, but that was not the case at Selhurst Park, with the away side struggling to impose themselves on the game and fashion opportunities.

The fact that they struggled against a side that was winless leading up to the game would be particularly concerning for Ange Postecoglou.

Guglielmo Vicario identifies problem

Vicario put the defeat squarely down to Tottenham’s inability to match their opponents in terms of attitude and fight.

The Spurs number one insisted that unless the North London side improve that aspect of their game, it will be hard for them to be consistent in the Premier League.

When asked about the fact that Palace managed to make the game into a scrap, the Italian said (via the club’s official website): “Yes, of course, they really wanted it, but we have to know that when we come to play away from home in the Premier League, every team has a little more to show in front of their fans in terms of attitude, in terms of power, in terms of taking care of things, and today they showed that, and we showed less than them.

MORE SPURS STORIES

“So, for us as a team, we have to improve this aspect, because to win a game of football is not just about playing good football, it’s also about this kind of stuff, and we have to change this… how can I say? This mountain… of results, up and down, up and down. We have to be more stable in our results because we have the quality, but the quality sometimes is not enough.”

Tottenham’s issues away from home

It certainly did not look like Tottenham have solved their issues away from home, which was the main reason why the club missed out on Champions League qualification last season.

One of the greatest players to ever play the game, Kaka, admits that he is part of the Heung-min Son fan club. He even paid a nice compliment to Tottenham too!

Heung-min Son is universally adored

Son is one of the very few footballers who is liked by everyone in and around the game and even by many opposition fans, which is rare in the modern-day game, given the extremely tribal nature of online fandom.

That is not just a testament to how good the South Korean is, but also his personality, with the 32-year-old always tending to play with a smile on his face.

Kaka expresses admiration for Heung-min Son

That is exactly the reason Kaka has given for his love for the Tottenham man, admitting that the forward looks like he loves playing the game.

The AC Milan legend pointed out that it is never easy for a player to play for a top club like Spurs for such a lengthy period.

Kaka told EA Sports FC Korea about Son: “I love him, because of his technique. I’ve never met him but it seems like he is a nice guy, he seems happy, he’s enjoying being on the pitch and has a great relationship with the supporters.”

“When you have the opportunity to be at a big club like Tottenham for many years, that is something really special. It’s not easy to be on the same team for a long period and keep doing good. So I love him.”

Tottenham have missed Heung-min Son

Spurs have been without Sonny for the last few matches and it has shown on that left-hand side. Whether it has been Timo Werner, Wilson Odobert, or Mikey Moore filling in for the Spurs captain, Ange Postecoglou has missed the leadership and consistency of his captain.