Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur Preview, Odds, Predictions (May 13)
Initial Thoughts
With both sides in the hunt for Europe’s third tier competition next season, Aston Villa welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Villa Park on Saturday.
Spurs are hoping to make it back to back wins for the first time since February, while Villa are hoping to get back to winning ways after the Unai Emery revolution hit the skids in recent weeks.
The Narrative
Aston Villa have been flying under Unai Emery this year but the Lions have lost important ground in their push for the European places of late.
After a ten game unbeaten run between February and the end of April that saw them amass 24 points from an available 30, Villa had climbed from the bottom half of the table to 6th in the Premier League standings.
But after finding the net in every game since Emery took over last November the Villains suddenly drew blanks in successive 1-0 defeats away to Manchester United and Wolves.
Returning to Villa park where they’ve picked up five victories on the bounce, the Lions will hope to get back to winning ways against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Spurs arrive having picked up their first three points under interim manager Ryan Mason last weekend, in a narrow 1-0 win at home to Crystal Palace.
That scoreline hardly reflects the attacking talent at the club though, and the stage is now set for a pulsating Premier League clash between two sides desperate to throw off a run of poor results.
Nuts and Bolts
While those just above them battle it out for the top four, Aston Vill and Spurs are battling it out for place in the Europa League next season.
Villa’s recent losses have seen them drop two places in the Premier League table. But a win against Spurs on Saturday would see Emery’s team draw level on points with the North London club - who currently occupy the Europa Conference League spot in 6th place.
Villa won 1-0 when these side’s last met earlier in the season, and there are two key factors why Emery’s side are viewed as slight favorites heading into Saturday’s matchup.
The first is Tottenham’s defence. Spurs haven’t won on the road since overcoming Fulham 1-0 back in January. They also lost both of their last two away fixtures - conceding a total of nine goals on their travels to Anfield and St James’ Park.
The second factor is Villa’s home form. Tottenham’s clean sheet against Palace was their first in over 800 minutes of football, and the Spurs backline is in for a serious test at a stadium that’s been a fortress in recent weeks.
The Lions are aiming to make it six straight wins on the bounce in front of their home fans, and their last five at Villa Park have produced an aggregate scoreline of ten goals to nil.
Homestand Picks
All odds courtesy of Northstar Bets
With Villa’s home form so impressive and Tottenham’s defence so shaky, we’re backing the Lions to make it six straight wins at home on Saturday.
Aston Villa Over 1.5 goals (+106)
Spurs have conceded two more goals in four of the last five, and Villa have scored two or more in three of their last four matches at home.
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