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Two teams with vastly different objectives at the business end of the season will clash in the unusual Sunday evening slot (19:00 BST) when Aston Villa welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the West Midlands.

Villa, off the back of a 1-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday, are aiming to get back into the Champions League via their Premier League position, lest they fall short of winning the continent's second-tier club competition.

Presently, they are poised to do just that, sitting fifth, eight points clear of Brighton. There is a worry, however, that the Villans may have peaked too early when they won eight league games on the trot in November and December.

Unai Emery's side have won just two of their past seven in the league, losing four – as many defeats as they suffered in their previous 24 top-flight matches.

Ollie on the up

Leading scorer Ollie Watkins has six goals in his past seven matches, a welcome return to form after netting just three in 16 during a challenging start to 2026.

It is perhaps not a coincidence that his good run started after 20 March, when he wasn't named in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for that month's friendlies.

Indeed, he has scored goals in three previous Premier League games against sides managed by Roberto de Zerbi, including a hat-trick against Brighton in September 2023.

One place he has not scored from this season, however, is the penalty spot. Villa and, coincidentally, Spurs are the only two sides in the division not to have been awarded a spot-kick this term.

Roberto's rallying cry

Tottenham are aiming to secure back-to-back league wins for the first time since the opening eight days of the season.

Having ended their 16-game domestic winless streak with victory over relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers last week, De Zerbi's side must aim for the same again on Sunday.

Spurs are teetering on the brink. They sit 18th, two points adrift of West Ham United, and the prospect of Championship football is looming increasingly large unless they get their act together.

De Zerbi, appointed at the end of March, said before Saturday's win at Molineux: "This team is able to win five games in a row." It's a bold statement given the Lilywhites have won just eight of their 34 matches so far.

It is one down, four to go, if this injury-stricken Spurs squad is to meet the Italian coach's target. No team has ever been in the relegation zone with five matches of a Premier League season to play and won them all.

There are, however, 18 examples of such a team winning three of their last five games (and five instances of a team winning four games), which should give hope to those currently suffering in north London.

De Zerbi - 'Losers think negatively' in relegation fight

Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi wants his side to silence the doubters in their fight against Premier League relegation.

Emery gave an update on midfielder Amadou Onana who came off injured against Nottingham Forest in the Europa League on Thursday: "Difficult. He had a scan and we will see the consequences after it and how he is feeling but for Sunday it is sure he is not available."

On shuffling his team: "Each match is very important, we are involved in the Premier League in day 35 and we are focusing on it as a priority - to be consistent and be demanding to achieve a huge challenge to be back in the Champions League."

On how close Villa are to getting back in Europe: "There are teams behind us performing well. We must focus on our own matches and try to get points. The first one is on Sunday against Tottenham. I am positive, I am delighted with the position we are in the league. Fantastic consistency but still the last challenge is to play."

In a rallying cry, he added: "On Sunday we need the stadium full, the supporters helping us, playing with us, bringing the energy. We are trying to enjoy with our supporters. We have been consistent, three years in a row playing in Europe. This year we have the opportunity to fight for it."

On facing Tottenham: "Each match in the Premier League is very difficult. They have very good players and they have a very good coach. Maybe he will need time to set the tactical things he [Roberto De Zerbi] did in Brighton, which were really fantastic. I think he will do it, but now they are trying to escape the bottom and they need points more than playing in a strong structure or idea he is usually doing. They have experienced players, good players, and I expect a very difficult match. Villa Park is something we must use, pushing us to win the match."

Manager Roberto de Zerbi has urged Tottenham to "silence the voice inside of us" as the club battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Despite posting their first league win of 2026 against bottom side Wolves last weekend, Spurs remain in the relegation zone and are two points behind 17th-placed West Ham with four games remaining.

They take on fifth-placed Aston Villa on Sunday before facing Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton as they bid to avoid their first relegation since 1977.

Speaking before the trip to Villa Park, De Zerbi delivered an impassioned monologue at the start of his news conference, insisting negativity has become Tottenham's biggest opponent during their dismal run of form.

"The most important challenge now is to silence the voice inside of us, inside of the players, inside the staff and the fans," said De Zerbi, who became Spurs' third boss of the season in March.

"This voice produces negative thoughts and the voice says we are unlucky, we have too many injuries. We lost Xavi Simons and he was in the last two games one of the most important players for us.

"Our medical staff is not good enough, the pitch of the stadium is not good, our training pitch is not good. Winning two or three games in a row is impossible because we hadn't won a game in 2026. I think it's all negative things and it's rubbish.

"It's like we're all crying and relegated. No, not yet. We have to die on the pitch.

"We have to play, we have to fight, we have two points less than West Ham. They have to play a difficult game like us.

"It's not the best moment for us, a tough moment, but the losers cry, they think negative and I don't want people close to me crying or to think a different way than me."

Netherlands attacking midfielder Simons has been ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against Wolves - and joined a lengthy Spurs injury list.

Striker Dominic Solanke also went off at Molineux with a hamstring injury, while goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario will also be unavailable against Villa - with Ben Davies, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Cristian Romero among long-term absentees.

"I want to keep the focus on ourselves and the quality of my players," De Zerbi said.

"We go to play against one of the best teams in this moment Premier League, but if Tottenham win at Villa Park it's not a miracle. Maybe we lose but we have the quality to win this game. It's not a miracle. We have to be positive.

"If Xavi and Solanke are injured we can play with [Randal] Kolo Muani, [Mathys] Tel, Richarlison... they are different but very good players. All these things - I don't have too much time to hear these things.

"We are good enough to win the games and to stay up and then we will see because it's the unique way. The way I know is to work hard, give my best, to trust in my idea of the players, their confidence and to be realistic."

However, one player close to returning from a long-term injury is James Maddison.

The England playmaker has not featured this season because of an ACL injury but was named on the bench against both Brighton and Wolves.

"I would like to play with Maddison because he is a special player but we have to consider physical condition, a lot of things. But I think he can be important in the next three games," De Zerbi said.

De Zerbi started his news conference by addressing what he says is the "most important challenge now" which is to "silence the voice inside of us".

He added: "This voice produces negative thoughts and the voice says we are unlucky, we have too many injuries. I think it's all negative things and it's rubbish. I want to keep the focus on ourselves and the quality of my players. It's not the best moment for us, a tough moment, but the losers cry, they think negative and I don't want people close to me crying or to think a different way than me. I heard no, it's impossible, we are crying, everyone, we are relegated, no? Not yet and we have to die on the pitch. We have to play, we have to fight, we have two points less than West Ham."

On facing Villa he said: "We go to play against one of the best teams in this moment in the Premier League but if Tottenham win at Villa Park it's not a miracle. Maybe we lose but we have the quality to win this game. It's not a miracle. We have to be positive."

On whether James Maddison will play against Aston Villa or Leeds, De Zerbi added: "He is a special player but we have to consider physical condition, a lot of things, but I think he can be important in the next three games."

De Zerbi confirmed Guglielmo Vicario is not available, while Dominic Solanke will be out for the Villa game with a hamstring injury, with no timeframe offered for his return. Destiny Udogie is available according to the Spurs boss but he does not know if he will be able to start.

Asked whether there is too much negativity in football, he said: "Yes. We [have] a lot of injuries, we lost two points with Brighton and in Sunderland we conceded one stupid goal and didn't deserve to lose the game, just in my time."

Finally on their mentality, the Spurs boss said: "I feel this pressure to change the perspective - the same perspective you can see in a different way."

Aston Villa won this exact fixture 2-0 last season, last beating Tottenham Hotspur in consecutive home league games in May/November 2004.

Tottenham Hotspur have lost six of their last 10 Premier League games against Aston Villa (W4), more than they had in their previous 34 against the Villans (W19 D10 L5).

None of the last 21 Premier League meetings between Aston Villa (7 wins) and Spurs (14) have finished level. Only Chelsea v Crystal Palace (26 between September 1997 and February 2024) has had a longer run with no draws in the competition’s history.

Aston Villa have won just two of their previous seven Premier League games (D1 L4), suffering as many defeats as in their prior 24 matches (W15 D5), though could win three in a row at home for the first time since January (run of eight).

Spurs ended a 15-game winless run against Wolves last time out (1-0) and could record successive victories in the Premier League for the first time since their opening two matches of this season against Burnley (3-0) and Manchester City (2-0).

Under Roberto De Zerbi, Spurs are averaging more pressed sequences per game (12.7) and possession won in the final third per game (5.3) than they were under Thomas Frank (11.1 and 3.7) and Igor Tudor (10.8 and 3.8) in the Premier League this season.

Aston Villa’s Pau Torres is averaging 9.5 line-breaking passes per 90 in the Premier League this season, the fifth-most of any central defender with at least 1,500 minutes. In Aston Villa’s defeat to Fulham last time out, his 11 played was the most of any player.

Spurs’ Richarlison is averaging 0.72 goal involvements per 90 this season (9 goals, 4 assists in 1,615 minutes), his third-best rate in a Premier League campaign behind 2023-24 and 2024-25 (both 0.9 per 90).

Tottenham need to take what they learned from the 1-0 victory at Wolves last weekend into their final Premier League run-in if they want to avoid relegation, says goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.

The 23-year-old has recently been asked to step in for first-choice keeper Guglielmo Vicario, who had hernia surgery last month, and helped Spurs earn their first victory in 16 games on Saturday, when he kept out Joao Gomes' free kick in the final minutes at Molineux Stadium.

"For the save, I am happy for that because it was a good moment at the end of the game. I just stayed calm and did what I am supposed to do," Kinsky said.

"We know that every game we need to get the points as much as possible, so of course we did it and got the three points. We want to continue this in the next games.

"It is more about keeping balanced - being focused on the offensive part of the game if you have the ball 70% [of the time] or something like this and then at the back being compact and ready for any counter.

"I think we did it well and especially in the first half. Second half could be better and I think these are the things we can take into the next game."

Roberto de Zerbi's side currently sit 18th in the Premier League, two points behind West Ham United above the drop zone, and Kinsky could play a part in the fight to keep Spurs from their first demotion since 1977.

"The determination is huge. We feel that we want it, the fans want it, everyone is behind us and we will do everything we can.

"Of course we got ourselves into this situation which we don't want to be but I believe we are doing the right things to get out and I believe we have the qualities to get out."

Tottenham captain Bethany England will leave the club when her contract ends this summer.

The 31-year-old joined Spurs from Chelsea in January 2023 and has scored 38 goals in all competitions - 32 of those in the Women's Super League (WSL), more than any other Tottenham player.

Under Martin Ho this season, she has scored seven goals in 19 appearances to help Spurs close to within two points of their best points WSL total and a likely top-six finish.

"Bethany has etched her name in Spurs Women history, and can leave feeling proud of the lasting impact she has made on the club," said managing director Andy Rogers.

After moving across London, England was instrumental in keeping Tottenham in the WSL, scoring 12 times in the second half of the season to pull Spurs away from danger.

Named club captain in September, she has been a fixture in the Spurs XI ever since, helping steer them to sixth place in 2023-24, 11th last season and competing towards the top half of the table so far this year.

"Bethany's leadership has shaped a defining era in the history of Tottenham Hotspur Women," Rogers added.

"She drove a rise in standards, professionalism and desire, and has continued to uphold and push these values throughout her time here."

England also has 26 caps for the Lionesses but has not appeared for Sarina Wiegman's side since a substitute appearance in the World Cup final against Spain in August 2023.

When England arrived at Spurs for a then-British record fee of £250,000, she was a huge name who had achieved great success with Chelsea.

An England international, the striker quickly transformed the team, helping them survive relegation and scored 21 goals in 35 appearances in her first two seasons.

That quickly cemented her position as a firm fan-favourite and as the club's captain, she played a pivotal role in the dressing room.

Her influence off the pitch has not waned as she continued to be a voice for Spurs in the media and a name they would look to when marketing big games or events at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, her role on the pitch has adapted in recent seasons as she has been played in different positions and has faced competition for her place in the starting XI.

With Ho in charge, Tottenham are looking to close the gap on teams competing in the Women's Champions League and therefore the squad has seen rapid changes this year.

England will leave as a club legend and as one of their most important players in the past decade.

Tottenham Hotspur vs London City Lionesses: Women's Super League stats & head-to-head  BBC

Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says he is "really sad" to see the "suffering" as the club fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Pochettino managed Spurs from 2014 to 2019 and took them to the Champions League final, but was sacked after a poor start to the following season.

Tottenham are 18th in the table, two points from safety with four games to play.

"I really love Tottenham," Pochettino told The Overlap's Stick to Football podcast.

"It's going to be a part of my life, an important part of my life as a coach, my personal life too.

"It's really sad because I know how the people are suffering there, inside the club and also the fans. It's difficult to accept."

Pochettino joined Paris St-Germain after leaving Tottenham before a return to the Premier League with Chelsea, and is now preparing to lead co-hosts USA at this summer's World Cup.

The Argentine has often been linked with a return to north London.

"One day, yes, because I really like England," he said.

"I think my profile - my human profile and my coaching profile - match very well with the Premier League."

Tottenham's win over relegated Wolves on Saturday was their first league victory this year, and they travel to fifth-placed Aston Villa on Sunday.

They will be without midfielder Xavi Simons for the rest of the season after he suffered a knee injury against Wolves, while striker Dominic Solanke also went off injured.