A look at the pundit predictions for Tottenham’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa.
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Tottenham are back in action on Saturday when they face an Aston Villa side looking to turn around a disappointing start to the campaign. Spurs have enjoyed a fine start, currently up in third in the Premier League, and Thomas Frank will be delighted with how quickly he has got his side looking resolute following a disappointing season of last for the club, at least in the Premier League.
Spurs beat Leeds United last time out and remarkably, they are only two points from leaders Arsenal. Few are expecting Tottenham to have title ambitions this season, but if they can continue their top four form, it would put them ahead of the curve in terms of where they were expected to be this season.
As for Villa, they will have had top four ambitions having finished in the European spots for the last two seasons, but they are down in 13th despite beating Burnley before the international break. Unai Emery’s men have actually won their last four games across all competitions, and they will be hoping to build on that momentum to put a disappointing league start behind them.
As the two sides prepare to face off on Sunday, we have rounded up the pundit predictions.
Paul Merson
Merson wrote in his SportsKeeda column: “Aston Villa are finally starting to find some form after that nightmare start. The draw against 10-man Sunderland must have stung them quite bad, but since then there has been a solid uptick in form. The only concern for Villa would be the lack of clean sheets, they are still conceding goals.
“Tottenham are doing really well under Thomas Frank. We all know they won't win the league, but I also feel they are going a bit under the radar at the moment. What stood out for me is how they produced a comeback against Brighton. You don't see the Spurs teams of the past doing that to be honest.
“I also like the fact that Frank is very open to the idea of changing his players and his style depending on his opponents. Spurs' defence has also improved and it's not like they have to score five or six goals to win a game. Tottenham will be fighting for fifth or sixth place this term and that's not bad considering their performance last season!
“Having said that, I believe Villa can get something out of this game. If Unai Emery's team play to their full potential, I don't think there will be much to separate these two sides. Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Aston Villa.”
Chris Sutton
Sutton wrote for BBC Sport: “After a slow start to the season, Aston Villa are on a good run of results with four straight wins now. I am still not convinced by their performances, though, and this will be a good test of where Unai Emery's side are really at and whether they have actually turned a corner or not.
“I don't watch Tottenham and feel like they will score a barrel-load of goals, but they have got a good balance to their team and I am backing them to find a way to win this. Prediction: 2-1.”