Tottenham Hotspur host an in-form Aston Villa side in Sunday’s early kick-off as the two-week international break comes to an end.
We are used to being interrupted by international breaks, but this one in particular felt unusually long and never-ending. Spurs at least went into it on a high after finally breaking their ‘pre-international break curse’, winning a game before an international break for the first time since October 2023.
That 2-1 win over Leeds United saw Mohamed Kudus open his Tottenham account and Mathys Tel grab his first goal of the season to help Thomas Frank’s side return to winning ways after back-to-back draws with Wolves and Brighton, where they had to chase the game late on.
Despite those dropped points, Tottenham sit third in the Premier League table, just two points behind leaders Arsenal heading into the weekend.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, had a dreadful start to their campaign, winless in the league until the end of September and goalless until mid-month.
However, once they tasted victory, they have not lost or even tied since. Emery’s side are currently on a run of four straight wins across all competitions, including back-to-back victories in both the Europa League and Premier League, most recently beating newly promoted Burnley 2-1 before the international break.
What time does Tottenham vs Aston Villa kick off?
Location: London, England
Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Date: Sunday, 19th September 2025
Kick off Time: 2 pm BST
Referee: Simon Hooper
VAR: Paul Tierney
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Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa: Head-to-head record
Aston Villa have had the upper hand in recent meetings, winning four of their last six Premier League games against Tottenham. The two sides met three times last season, with Villa coming out on top in two of those encounters.
Interestingly, Thomas Frank has never beaten Unai Emery in the Premier League. He has faced Emery five times, drawing twice and losing three, all while managing Brentford. It is also the most Frank has faced a single manager in the competition without winning.
Tottenham team news
Tottenham’s injury situation had been relatively kind this season, but the international break brought a few setbacks. Yves Bissouma, who had just returned to the pitch for the first time this season, suffered an ankle injury only six minutes into his comeback and had to be stretchered off during Mali’s 4-1 win over Madagascar. He is ruled out for this fixture.
Ben Davies is another concern after picking up a muscle injury in Wales’ 4-2 defeat to Belgium. Even if fit, the Welsh International captain is unlikely to play this weekend.
On the positive side, Randal Kolo Muani and Kota Takai have returned to full training and are available for selection. However, Tottenham will still be without James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin, who all remain absent for a significant period.
Aston Villa team news
Unai Emery has his own injury concerns following the international break. Ollie Watkins was forced off in England’s friendly against Wales after colliding with the goalpost, ruling him out of their next game and making him a doubt for this one. Jadon Sancho, who joined Villa in the summer, has not featured this month and is also a doubt.
Tyrone Mings and Youri Tielemans are the confirmed absentees.
Predicted Tottenham line-up
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bergvall, Simons, Palhinha; Odobert, Tel, Kudus
This lineup takes into account the international break, with Destiny Udogie likely to be rested after not featuring for Italy.
Simons grabbed an assist for the Netherlands, while Lucas Bergvall made his senior debut for Sweden. Rodrigo Bentancur was not called up by Uruguay, so he will likely come off the bench in this fixture
Up front, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert were both excellent for the French Under 21s, Odobert scoring four goals in two matches and Tel adding two himself. Frank will likely keep that duo together, with Kolo Muani and Richarlison options from the bench.
Our prediction
Tottenham’s form after international breaks is usually encouraging. In fact, they rank fourth in the league for most wins following one. Unfortunately for Tottenham fans, Villa sit just above them in that same stat, albeit by just one more win.
Spurs’ right-hand side could be the key on Sunday. Mohammed Kudus and Pedro Porro were both electric for their national teams and will look to continue that momentum. For Villa, Morgan Rogers and Lucas Digne pose the biggest threats, both enjoying decent international spells.
None of the last 20 Premier League meetings between Tottenham and Aston Villa have ended in a draw, and that trend may continue.
Given that Tottenham players had more involvement during the international duty, we expect Thomas Frank to get the better of Unai Emery for the first time in his career.