With the Europa League final a little over a week away, Ange Postecoglou still has some tough calls to make regarding his starting XI against Aston Villa on Friday night. Let’s take a look at our predicted Tottenham XI to face Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur are now a spot above the relegation zone, after suffering their 20th Premier League defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.
Next up for the Lilywhites is a trip to Villa Park, where they are set to take on Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, a side chasing a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Ange Postecoglou is set to have a selection headache, with the Australian now needing to decide whether or not to start his first eleven or give another chance to his fringe players.
Let’s take a look at our predicted Tottenham XI to take on Aston Villa this weekend.
Predicted Tottenham XI vs Aston Villa in the Premier League
Goalkeeper – Guglielmo Vicario: Antonin Kinsky was handed a rare start against Crystal Palace and, to his credit, did not look out of place, making a couple of decent stops to keep the scoreline in check. However, with the Europa League final on the horizon, we expect Guglielmo Vicario to return between the sticks.
Right-back – Pedro Porro: Pedro Porro surprisingly started at the weekend when many thought he would be rested. But with the back four needing to rediscover some defensive rhythm ahead of the Manchester United fixture, Porro is expected to start for Tottenham once more.
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Centre-back – Cristian Romero: Cristian Romero was rested last time out and should come straight back into the heart of defence. His aggressive style and leadership are crucial if Tottenham are to get anything from this trip.
Centre-back – Micky van de Ven: We expect Micky van de Ven to feature in this clash on Friday night as Postecoglou would be hoping he can build some sharpness ahead of the United tie. Though it is unlikely he will play a full ninety.
Left-back – Destiny Udogie: Destiny Udogie is expected to return to the starting XI, replacing Djed Spence, who has endured a difficult few weeks.
Pivot midfielder – Yves Bissouma: Yves Bissouma featured from the bench against Palace and should now be ready to reclaim his spot in Tottenham’s midfield.
Central midfielder – Rodrigo Bentancur: Rodrigo Bentancur was substituted at half-time against Palace in what appeared to be a pre-planned move. He is expected to start again this weekend.
Central midfielder – Pape Sarr: Dejan Kulusevski picked up a knock and will hopefully return to training soon, but his chances of starting the Europa League final are uncertain. There is a chance he starts this one from the bench, with Wilson Odobert or Pape Sarr taking his place.
Left midfielder – Richarlison: Heung-min Son made a brief appearance at the weekend, but it is unlikely he will be thrown in from the start. Richarlison is expected to feature on the left.
Striker – Dominic Solanke: Dominic Solanke was rested against Palace but should return to lead the line. His hold-up play and finishing ability will be key if Spurs are to threaten Villa’s defence.