Tottenham’s quest to keep pace with the Premier League elite sees them face Aston Villa this weekend, and Chris Sutton believes it could be a tense, high-scoring encounter.
Both Tottenham and Aston Villa enter this clash with intriguing narratives and a hunger to climb the Premier League standings after somewhat mixed fortunes in recent fixtures.
Spurs, despite some bright spells under Ange Postecoglou’s attacking philosophy, have found consistency elusive; their latest setback came as a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, a side mired near the bottom of the table, highlighting the brittleness that has plagued them this season.
Sitting in eighth with 13 points, Tottenham have both impressed and frustrated, still yet to shed the ‘Spursy’ tag that has long haunted their endeavours.
Aston Villa, in contrast, have shown a level of resilience and determination, holding fourth place on the table with 18 points and carrying momentum from a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, where they demonstrated their attacking prowess even without securing a win. Unai Emery’s team has proven themselves dangerous with a squad that is beginning to gel well, particularly in the final third.
Despite being at home, Spurs are expected to face a stern test this weekend and Chris Sutton has given his prediction on how he sees things panning out.
Chris Sutton expects an exciting game with goals, although he’s not convinced either side will do enough to earn all three points. Let’s take a look at his Tottenham vs Aston Villa prediction.
He said (BBC Sport): “They have won eight of their past 10 games in all competitions, which is pretty good I think, but there is always this underlying ‘Spursy’ or ‘typical Spurs’ label they get given whenever they slip up.
“That could happen here, of course. Spurs will dominate the ball this time too, but I have got no doubt that Villa will score, because they carry such a threat and their front players will definitely have their moments in this game.
“So, there will definitely be plenty of goals… but maybe there won’t be a winner this time – Tottenham have not had a draw since the first game of the season, and I think they will get one here.”
Score prediction: Tottenham 2-2 Aston Villa
While Sutton’s prediction favours a draw, a number of factors could sway this encounter, particularly Tottenham’s squad fitness and Villa’s attacking consistency.
Son Heung-min’s presence, which has been missed in recent games, could be crucial; he provides the pace and finishing needed to exploit Villa’s defence.
Spurs will also feel the absence of left centre-back Micky van de Ven who is a doubt for this fixture. His speed has been vital in tracking quick counterattacks—something Villa will likely look to exploit given their strength in transition.
Ultimately, both teams are capable of scoring, and Sutton’s prediction of a draw may not be far from reality. However, I think Spurs could edge it 2-1, especially if they can take advantage of Villa’s defensive gaps. Still, Villa’s solidity and momentum indicate they’ll be a formidable challenge for Tottenham, leaving fans to wonder if either side can truly break the deadlock in what promises to be a compelling match-up.
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