Today's Premier League action kicks off in north London as Tottenham Hotspur hosts Aston Villa.
The teams had differing results in their midweek matches: Spurs defeated eight-time Carabao Cup champions Manchester City to move into the quarter-finals, while a rotated Villa squad fell 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace. Despite the loss, Villa's manager Unai Emery remains focused on their impressive league campaign, building on last season's fourth-place finish, which they’ve matched so far this season. They currently sit fourth in the table, five points ahead of Tottenham.
Tottenham has struggled with inconsistency, particularly in away games, leaving them in eighth place. They were poor in their last match against Crystal Palace, though their home form has been strong, and a performance like Wednesday's could give them a valuable win today. Spurs captain Son Heung-min, who missed their last three games after a standout performance against West Ham, is back in action, though they’ll be missing Micky van de Ven due to a hamstring injury, giving Radu Dragusin a rare start alongside Cristian Romero in defense.
Spurs also remain without Wilson Odobert and Djed Spence due to injuries.
Their confirmed lineup today is a 4-3-3, with Vicario; Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur, Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, and Son.
Villa, on the other hand, has fewer injury concerns, with Tyrone Mings recently returning to action though he won’t start today. Boubacar Kamara is also available for selection, though Tielemans and Onana are likely to start in midfield. Several key players who were rested midweek, such as Matty Cash, Pau Torres, Ollie Watkins, and Lucas Digne, are expected to start.
Villa's lineup will be a 4-2-3-1 featuring Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; McGinn, Onana, Tielemans; Ramsey, Rogers; and Watkins.
Last season, Villa won at this stadium and will aim to repeat that result. Unlike Spurs, who have several players fatigued from midweek, Villa's main lineup is well-rested. Though Spurs have been strong at home, missing Van de Ven might expose them, and Villa’s Watkins could be poised to take advantage.
Prediction: Tottenham 2-2 Aston Villa.
Who's your winner?
Spurs
Draw
Villa
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