Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to put an end to their mini-tumble down the Premier League table when they entertain Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Spurs had an excellent start to the season under the tutelage of new boss Ange Postecoglou and were unbeaten in their first 10 games but they have lost their last two and slipped from the top down to fourth before the international break. Their dream start has come crashing down and Postecoglou’s side are now facing their first real test following back-to-back defeats to Chelsea and Wolves.
The north London side will be hoping to bounce back to winning ways but face an in-form Aston Villa side, who are only three points off the top spot.
Tottenham Hotspur Team News
Tottenham were worried about Son Heung-min’s fitness over the international break, however, he is expected to be fine. But Ange Postecoglou will be without James Maddison, Richarlison, Micky van de Ven, Ivan Perisic and Manor Solomon who are all out injured, while Yves Bissouma and Cristian Romero are suspended.
Destiny Udogie has served his one-game suspension and will be in contention to feature for Spurs against Aston Villa.
Predicted Tottenham lineup vs Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
Guglielmo Vicario has had a solid start to his Spurs career, impressing with his shot-stopping, reflexes and leadership skills. He is set to continue in goal for the home side.
Defence
With Cristian Romero suspended and Micky van de Ven injured, Eric Dier and Ben Davies should keep their places in central defence in the Tottenham lineup.
Destiny Udogie was a huge miss in the previous game against Wolves but he is now free from suspension and should walk straight into the first XI. He will replace Emerson Royal at left-back, with Pedro Porro retaining his spot at right-back in the Tottenham lineup.
The Spurs back four has to defend very well if they are to keep an extremely potent Villa side at bay on Sunday.
Midfield
Rodrigo Bentancur is fit to replace Yves Bissouma after enjoying one start and a cameo for Uruguay during the international break. He will form the double pivot with Pape Sarr in the middle of the park, with Giovani Lo Celso deputising for the injured James Maddison in the No.10 role in the Tottenham lineup.
Bentancur and Sarr will be tasked with protecting the backline and setting the tempo of the game. Lo Celso’s creativity and vision could be key in opening up a well-drilled Villa defence. Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg must settle for a role on the bench.
Attack
Son Heung-min will lead the Spurs attack, hoping to continue his good start to the season. The South Korean will be flanked by Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski, and the onus will be on the duo to provide service from wide areas.
With Richarlison and Solomon injured, Bryan Gil could get some minutes in the second half.
