Premier League: Aston Villa in Danger of Missing Out

Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur

Aston Villa are in danger of missing out on a Champions League spot next season, despite their solid form in the Premier League. Unai Emery’s men have only lost one of their last eight league matches, but they are in sixth place in the English top-flight standings with 63 points – level with fifth-seeded Chelsea.

The Villans are coming off a 1-0 win against Bournemouth, which means they can no longer finish lower than seventh this term. However, Aston Villa are not content with qualifying only for the Europa or Conference League, so they still have their work cut out.

On the other hand, Tottenham dropped to 17th after going winless in their last five league matches. Ange Postecoglou may not publicly admit it, but the Spurs are no longer prioritising the Premier League since his team is through to the Europa League final next week against Manchester United.

 

Talking Points

Aston Villa could miss up to three key players

Aston Villa narrowly defeated Bournemouth, as Ollie Watkins scored his club record 75^th Premier League goal before halftime. However, the victory came at a cost, as they will miss the services of Jacob Ramsey this Friday against the visiting Spurs.

Ramsey was sent off for accumulating two yellow cards against the Cherries. The 23-year-old midfielder received his second yellow card in the 80th minute for tripping up David Brooks on the halfway line, though the Villans held on for the win. He had been booked in the first half after confronting Adam Smith following a reckless challenge by the Bournemouth skipper. 

Ramsey will serve his one-match suspension against Tottenham and join Marcus Rashford on the sidelines. Rashford is not expected to play for Aston Villa again this season after sustaining a hamstring injury during a 2-1 loss against Manchester City last month.

Furthermore, head coach Unai Emery is sweating on the fitness of Youri Tielemans because the Belgian midfielder did not play against the Cherries due to a knock. If Tielemans remains out, Amadou Onana will take his place in the starting XI.

 

Tottenham will not take any risks

After eliminating Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-finals, Tottenham lost 2-0 against Crystal Palace. Head coach Ange Postecoglou didn’t put out his best starting lineup, with one eye ahead of the Europa League final.

Postecoglou went with Antonin Kinsky as his starting goalkeeper, with Ben Davies, Kevin Danso, and Djed Spence on their four-man backline with Pedro Porro. Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr joined Rodrigo Bentancur in the middle of the park. Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert were with Dejan Kulusevski in the final third. Yves Bissouma, Mikey Moore, and Heung-Min Son came off the bench.

Kulusevski might get the day off after picking up a minor knee issue against Crystal Palace. Tottenham will likely maintain essentially the same starting XI this Friday.

 

History

Friday marks the third meeting between Aston Villa and Tottenham this season. Tottenham won 4-1 in the reverse league fixture at North London last November, as Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke (brace), and James Maddison overturned a one-goal deficit created by Morgan Rogers. Aston Villa won 2-1 last February to eliminate Tottenham from the FA Cup fourth round. Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers gave the Villans a 2-0 lead before Mathys Tel prevented a shutout victory at Villa Park.

Aston Villa have won three of their last five Premier League matches against Tottenham, though they have lost the last two, which is more than they managed in their 21 previous league matches against Spurs (W2, D3, L16). The Villans are also undefeated in their last 20 home games across all competitions (W14, D6). However, they’ve conceded at least four goals in their last two league matches against Spurs.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2025 odds predict a ho-hum contest between Aston Villa and Tottenham. The Villans will prioritise winning this match, and they’re the favourites to take the three points at 1.34 odds. Meanwhile, the Spurs are 6.20 underdogs, and a Draw is at 5.00 in the 1X2 market.

Goals and new Premier League 2025 highlights are guaranteed for this fixture at Villa Park. Besides our recommended bet, SBOTOP football fans and bettors can also go for alternatives like Over 3.25 at 1.80, Over 3.50 at 2.04, Over 3.75 at 2.29, and even Total Goal 4-6 at 2.26. Moreover, a Correct Score of 2-1 in favour of Aston Villa – the result of their most recent encounter – could yield a robust payday of 8.60.

   

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