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Overall, the Thomas Frank era at Tottenham Hotspur has gotten off to a successful start, but it's really only been a mild success to this point. Once again, Spurs were left second best on the pitch this Sunday, falling 2-1 to an Aston Villa side that had, to that point of the campaign, been one of the most disappointing sides in the entire Premier League - even worse than Manchester United.

But Tottenham collapsed against Villa after ceding an early lead, conceding cheap goals while creating frustratingly little of their own. Spurs all of a sudden made Aston Villa's struggling midfield and back line look highly competent, while their own midfield was both plodding an ineffective.

Whereas Ange Postecoglou committed the cardinal sin of leaving his team entire vacant and vulnerable to being shredded apart, Frank has moved in the opposite direction and become far too tinpot for the likings of any Spurs fan.

Tottenham are a big club. They signed Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel, Joao Palhinha, Xavi Simons, and Randal Kolo Muani this summer. And yet the way Frank has them playing, you'd think that they were Burnley or Leeds United with how passive and scared he is.

Tottenham are losing easy points

Frank is also too content to chalk up losses to bad luck, or shots outside the box, or any number of explanations that would be perfectly rational at a club with no real expectations or pressure like, say, Brentford. But at Tottenham you have to account for these possibilities and leave luck out of the equation if you want to compete with Chelsea and Newcastle and reach the Champions League year after year.

From Bodo Glimt to Brighton to Wolves and now to Aston Villa, Frank has underperformed in winnable games for Tottenham, and he hasn't shown the requisite fire and desire to actually get the full three points. And savvy Tottenham fans are noticing this worrying trend of Frank playing down Spurs when the new leadership team is trying to push to win the whole dang show in the English top flight.

That has to change for Frank and Spurs to improve, in a true sense, going forward. Frank is being far too soft tactically and mentally with how he approaches games and winning, and Tottenham are going to need an entire cultural shift and shift in goals first in order to see the results really take off on the field like they want them to.

Tottenham mark their return to Premier League action after the October international break by welcoming Aston Villa to north London on Sunday afternoon.

These two sides faces off three times last season, with Villa winning both duels on home soil after Spurs scored an emphatic victory in N17. The come-from-behind triumph against Unai Emery's side was one of very few domestic highs for the Lilywhites.

Much has changed since the pair faced off in May, as Ange Postecoglou rotated heavily for the Friday night trip to the West Midlands to prioritise the Europa League final. Villa's 2-0 victory was incredibly forgettable.

Now led by Thomas Frank, Spurs have enjoyed a productive start to 2025/26 and showed signs of veering away from functionality in possession at Elland Road two weeks ago. The hosts enter the weekend third in the table, while Villa, who were the league's crisis club not so long ago, are in a far brighter mood.

They're four games unbeaten domestically and won back-to-back games before the October break.

Here's our preview of Sunday's Premier League clash.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa: Preview, Prediction & Lineups

What time does Tottenham vs Aston Villa kick off?

Tottenham vs Aston Villa kicks off on Sunday 19 October at 14:00 BST.

When is kick off? Sunday 19 October, 2025

What time is kick off? 14:00 BST

Where is it played? Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Referee:Â Simon Hooper

Tottenham vs Aston Villa head-to-head record (last five games)

How to watch Tottenham vs Aston Villa on TV & live stream

Tottenham team news

Frank has confirmed that Randal Kolo Muani is in contention to make his Premier League debut on Sunday, having recovered from a dead leg over the international break. The summer arrival is unlikely to start, with Mathys Tel deserving of keeping his place.

Dominic Solanke is on the comeback trail but isn't ready to return, while the maligned Yves Bissouma picked up an injury on international duty that will keep him sidelined for weeks.

The same back four that started at Elland Road should be retained, but there could be a change in midfield. Lucas Bergvall may come in for Rodrigo Bentancur and partner João Palhinha, while Xavi Simons should function as the creative force from a No. 10 position.

Tottenham predicted lineup vs Aston Villa:Â Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Bergvall; Kudus, Simons, Odobert; Tel.

Aston Villa team news

Ollie Watkins returned from England duty early after a collision with the post, but Unai Emery has confirmed his starting striker is in contention for Sunday's game. Emiliano Buendia and Jadon Sancho are also available amid injury concerns.

Tyrone Mings could return after a two-game absence, with Saturday's training session decisive. If not, Pau Torres will likely start alongside England international Ezri Konsa.

Youri Tielemans is a big miss in Villa's midfield, and he's not expected until next month at the earliest. The Belgian has missed much of the season because of a calf injury.

Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Tottenham: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; McGinn, Bogarde, Kamara, Rogers; Watkins, Malen.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa score prediction

I'm glad Villa picked up form before the break. I'd have been incredibly nervous for Sunday's bout were they still winless and in dire straits. Their improvement oddly makes me more confident.

Emery's side haven't evolved all that much. You know what you're going to get from the Villans. They're very narrow, very compact, and typically slow when they build from the back. They'll aim to draw Spurs out and utilise depth as a means of exploiting the hosts in defensive transition.

Thus, I think there will be plenty of cagey periods here, but the hosts are built to exploit this Villa team. I'm expecting a statement performance from Frank's side.

On Sunday when the Premier League returns from the October international break, Tottenham Hotspur will take on Aston Villa in a match that usually was a high-stakes one for a spot in European competition. This season, though, Villa have been a shell of themselves, so third-place Tottenham are overwhelming favorites to take down Unai Emery's men.

Thereafter, the schedule will start to get tougher. Tottenham must face Monaco on the road in the Champions League on Wednesday. After that, Spurs have matchups against Everton, Newcastle, and Chelsea in a row. And yes, Everton are now a tough team and a sleeper for European football after the transformative signing of one-time Tottenham transfer target Jack Grealish.

The toughest of those matchups is clearly the Nov. 1 battle against Chelsea, who, like Tottenham, are also darkhorse contenders to steal a Premier League title from top two teams Liverpool and Arsenal this season.

For Tottenham, the good news is that their match against rivals Chelsea just got quite a bit easier. According to Blues manager Enzo Maresca, via Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea superstar attacking midfielder Cole Palmer will have to miss six more weeks with a groin injury that has slowed him this season.

An easier rival match for Tottenham

Chelsea have quite a few star players, such as defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo and new winger phenom Estevao Willian, but there is no question that Palmer is their best player and one of the biggest talents in the Premier League. He is one of the few players in England who is capable of winning a Ballon d'Or one day.

That Tottenham won't have to face him running counterattacks, weaving through defenders, and scoring goals and assists at will is a massive boost. It makes the jobs of midfielders Pape Matar Sarr and new star No. 6 Joao Palhinha that much easier, not having to scramble to track Palmer or contend with his game-changing playmaking.

Obviously, it stinks to even see a rival's player injured, and top competitors always want to beat their opponents when they are at their very best. But Tottenham will take all the bonuses they can get when they come, and facing a Chelsea team without Palmer is just about one of the biggest advantages a team can get in the Premier League. Palmer is an absolute baller, and anyone who watched the Club World Cup can certainly attest to his ability to take games over against any caliber of opponent.

Tottenham Hotspur had one of the worst midfields in the Premier League last season under Ange Postecoglou, but now under Thomas Frank, that group has been stabilized. The additions of Xavi Simons and Joao Palhinha this summer have been massive, as the duo looks set to be among the very best in their roles in the Premier League this season; Palhinha already is.

But there are young players coming over from last season who are set to be important under Frank. Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr are already making huge strides from what they were doing under Postecoglou.

The real key player to watch in midfield is Lucas Bergvall, though. He was a standout in his first season with Tottenham and has been important again this season. Bergvall needs to be a key player for Spurs going forward, just as he needs to be a key starter for his country, Sweden.

The Swedish national team just had a terrible October international break with poor result after poor result, and the teenage Tottenham star was a victim of that, including being subbed off controversially in the game against Kosovo.

Not you, Potter

That manager has now been fired, but Jon Dahl Tomasson's replacement as the Sweden national team coach may not be much of an upgrade, which will come to the chagrin of Bergvall.

According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, the Sweden national team is close to hiring Graham Potter as the manager, even though Potter was just swiftly fired by West Ham after embarrassing himself with the Hammers even more thoroughly than he did at Chelsea.

Potter has been one of the worst Premier League managers over the last three years, and he is hardly much of an upgrade on Tomasson. Bergvall having to work under Potter is not going to be a great deal for him, and he's unlikely to learn much that he can use to translate to Spurs from a guy who isn't even fit to manage the worst teams in the Premier League.

It's a blow for Spurs and Bergvall, because coaches of the ilk of Tomasson and Potter are also hard to trust when it comes to playing the best players and guiding young talent. Potter didn't even develop Brighton's players at the level of his successors, and he's looking more and more like a fraud who was simply propped up by a great scouting system that fed him the talent in Brighton.

Tottenham Hotspur are slowly but surely shaping into a contender under new manager Thomas Frank, and despite a few poor results in recent weeks, the club are quietly third in the Premier League behind only perennial contenders Liverpool and Arsenal.

And Spurs are doing it without a steady striker situation. Richarlison had a hot start to the 2025/26 season, but the disappointing transfer from Everton reverted back to his old ways and is now struggling to find the back of the net - or make a real impact at all.

Tottenham are playing short-handed at striker, as Dominic Solanke has been slow to heal from an injury that required surgery. Meanwhile, new acquisition Randal Kolo Muani, signed on loan from PSG, has yet to even debut for Tottenham due to an apparent "dead leg".

Tottenham ready for a boost

Well, Frank finally has some good news on Kolo Muani, as the former Eintracht Frankfurt star could actually be ready to start for Tottenham on Sunday in the Premier League with a match against Aston Villa. Frank said, via Spurs Global

“Kolo Muani has trained for two weeks with the team - he looks better and better - and he's in contention for the weekend.

Dom's progressed well post-surgery, he's moving forwards. Biss unfortunately had a situation with the national team and has a ligament issue in his ankle so he'll be out for a few weeks.”

Although Kolo Muani's had a torrid time in Paris, he was great on loan at Juventus last season, but Spurs were able to beat Juve to the punch for the loan deal. And before all that, Kolo Muani was one of the best and most well-rounded overall forwards in the Bundesliga for Eintracht.

Tottenham have Mathys Tel ready to break out at striker, but they need an all-around veteran who can score and assist for the team. Kolo Muani can be the solution Spurs are looking for up top, and he can prove that he's a piece of the puzzle on Sunday, even in 15-20 minutes off the bench as a tune up for a potential start in the Champions League on Wednesday against former Ligue 1 rivals Monaco.

If Spurs can solve their striker situation and get one of Wilson Odobert or Mathys Tel to break out on the left wing, they will then have no glaring weaknesses left in Frank's ideal starting XI. Let's see what Kolo Muani can do.

When it comes to reunion talk, most of the conversation has been around Bayern Munich superstar striker Harry Kane, who, to the surprise of absolutely nobody related to Tottenham Hotspur, is playing at a literal Ballon d'Or level and has been the best striker in the world since joining the Bavarian giants.

On a much better side than what Ange Postecoglou could have afforded him at Spurs, Kane is crushing it alongside Michael Olise and Luis Diaz. But with Spurs improving their own attack, they are quietly hoping that Kane sees this and is open to a 2026 return to N17.

In the meantime, Tottenham were preparing for a different kind of reunion. On this coming Wednesday, Oct. 22, Spurs are set to battle Monaco on the road in the next matchup of the 2025/26 Champions League season. None other than Eric Dier is one of the center backs for the Monegasque club, having joined them this summer after a better than expected run with the very same Bayern.

But according to a report from L'Equipe's Flavien Tressarieu, the veteran defender has suffered a muscular injury ahead of this Champions League clash. Dier is now set to miss the "homecoming" matchup against Tottenham with this injury suffered in training.

Tottenham have an easier matchup

Monaco have one of the best young squads in Europe and are an underrated darkhorse side. Dier has been resurgent lately and is actually a regular starter for Monaco alongside the even more underrated Christian Mawissa, so this is a big loss for Monaco.

It's a big gain for Tottenham, though, as Spurs still have questions to answer as far as scoring goals goes. Whoever starts at striker for Spurs in this one, which could even be former Ligue 1 No. 9 Randal Kolo Muani, they will have a significantly easier time without dealing with Dier.

Plus, on a personal level, no Tottenham fan wants to have to think of someone who played for their club and was a key contributor as an enemy. Although seeing that Dier is out with injury hurts in that respect and you never want to see anyone injured, at least Spurs won't have to "reunite" with Dier and suffer against him as an opponent. For Dier, he'd obviously want to be out there playing and not hurt, but maybe on some level it would also be bittersweet for him to see Tottenham as an enemy, too.

Tottenham Hotspur have so much more promise about them in the 2025/26 season with Thomas Frank at the helm, and that's not just because Spurs signed three great players in the summer transfer window in Xavi Simons, Joao Palhinha, and Mohammed Kudus.

The existing players are showing more hunger and potential under Frank, who is by far and away a superior tactical manager to predecessor Ange Postecoglou. The real hope is that the young footballers, especially the forwards, can become world-beaters slowly over time under Frank.

For his part, the new Tottenham manager is already intrigued by a pair of growing forwards in Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel, who came into the season with expectations but a lot of unknowns and were even criticized by some fans just weeks ago.

But after strong displays against Leeds followed by world-class performances for the prestigious French U21 team, Frank sounds highly intrigued to see what Odobert and Tel can do as a pair after the October international break.

Mathys Tel is making waves

Frank said at the press conference ahead of Sunday's fixture between Tottenham and Aston Villa, via Spurs Global:

“It was so nice to see them perform well for their country. They are both in a good rhythm.

I'm pleased with both of them in general. I think they are developing and taking steps in the right direction.”

Tel scored once and nearly twice against Leeds, and he is a player with a Bayern Munich pedigree who was a key part of the side that won the Europa League last season. Despite the inane criticisms from some Spurs fans, most people, Frank included, believe that he is a quality young player.

Odobert was another significant investment in the summer 2024 transfer window, and, together, he and Tel can be a dynamic duo for the next decade if developed properly. In view of Frank's success at developing talents at Brentford into Premier League stars like Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney, you wouldn't want the U21 French duo in the hands of any other coach.

Frank's praise for Odobert and Tel is a hint that more minutes should be coming for the two as the 2025/26 Premier League season rolls on. The win over Leeds combined with this praise from Frank should be a sign of more starts, including for Tel and Odobert as a pair with Tel recently impressing at the striker position for Tottenham.

Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham was among those who spoke at the annual fan forum, held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night, and he was particularly bullish over one piece of business conducted by the club in the summer.

Vinai joined Spurs as CEO in April, having spent a long while in Arsenal's hierarchy down the road. His ties to our bitter rivals would render him easy to dislike, but Vinai has so far spoken with impressive clarity on a range of topics amid a period of significant change in N17.

Those who attended the forum were once again impressed with the CEO's ability to communicate with precision at Thursday's forum. Thomas Frank, Ben Davies, Johan Lange and Bethany England were also on stage, as was Cristian Romero.

Having been linked with a move away following Ange Postecoglou's exit amid interest from Atlético Madrid, Romero's subsequent contract extension was a major coup for the Lilywhites. Frank named him his captain ahead of the UEFA Super Cup, and the Dane has benefited from his availability at the start of the new season.

New Cristian Romero contract was 'best deal' of the summer window

Vinai reportedly played a key role in ensuring Romero comitted his future to the club, with the defender now tied down until 2029.

While I wasn't at the forum and don't have the context in which the CEO brought this up, Vinai was quoted by several aggregator accounts on X, including Last Word On Spurs, as saying that Romero's new contract was the "best deal in world football this summer."

Son Heung-min's departure means the Argentine international is now the club's highest-paid player, and his newfound responsibility, which started when Ange named him one of his vice-captains two years ago, have helped Romero harness the aggression that once proved a source of frustration.

He's continued to prove at the start of 2025/26 that he's one of Europe's premier centre-backs, even if rival supporters remain adamant that he's a "hot head" who lacks discipline.

His partnership with Micky van de Ven proved key in our Europa League success last season, and the pair have started together in every Premier League match so far this term. As a result, Frank's resilient Lilywhites have the joint-second best defensive record in the division.

Retaining Romero's fitness could decide how far Spurs go this season, although Van de Ven is equally important to the club's success. Both have been ravaged by injuries over the past two years, but there's hope that under the new regime, the pair will be better protected.

The October international break has been navigated without too much fuss, despite the abundance of Spurs stars who were in action for their respective countries.

There were certainly highs and lows, While our French U21 starlets impressing again and Mohammed Kudus helping Ghana qualify for next summer's World Cup, Lucas Bergavll endured a miserable time, Sweden will be relying on the playoffs to earn their place at the big show. Fortunately, Dejan Kulusevski should be available when March rolls around.

Anyway, that's enough international talk. Tottenham are back in action on home soil on Sunday afternoon, with Aston Villa, the early crisis team of 2025/26, travelling to N17. The Villans steadied the ship before the break, and a hotly contested contest is in store this weekend, with Spurs aiming for a repeat of last season's home outing against Unai Emery's men.

Here's how Thomas Frank could set his side up this weekend.

Tottenham predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Guglielmo Vicario (GK) – Vicario made up for his role in Leeds United's goal two weeks ago by making a pair of excellent second-half saves to preserve our victory. Still, the Italian has something to prove after the break.

Pedro Porro (RB) – Porro's importance to the Spanish national team is starting to be realised, and he remains an imperative figure in Frank's Lilywhites.

Cristian Romero (CB) – Romero was at the fan forum on Thursday and sat as CEO Vinai Venkatesham sang his praises. He didn't have all that much to do on international duty, it would seem.

Micky van de Ven (CB) – Van de Ven lined up at left-back for the Netherlands over the recent break, but will return to his familiar role on Sunday. There are rumours of a new contract emerging.

Destiny Udogie (LB) – Djed Spence had an excellent break, but Udogie is needed in this Tottenham team.

Midfielders

João Palhinha (CM) – I think Frank opts for Palhinha at the base of his midfield to combat Aston Villa's threat between the lines. Given how Villa play, this has the makings of a huge game for the Portuguese international. Duels aplenty.

Lucas Bergvall (CM) – This might not be the worst game for a fresh Rodrigo Bentancur to start in, but I think we'd all prefer a more dynamic option alongside Palhinha. Bergvall or Pape Matar Sarr.

Xavi Simons (AM) – Xavi didn't play all that much for the Dutch, so he should be pretty fresh here. He's certainly growing in Spurs colours, but we're waiting for his "he's arrived!" game to surface.

Forwards

Mohammed Kudus (RW) – The Ghanaian must be flying high knowing that he'll be going to the World Cup next year, especially after Ghana failed to qualify for the upcoming African Cup of Nations. Kudus has been Spurs' star performer this season.

Mathys Tel (ST) – Richarlison has flown to the Far East and back ahead of this fixture. We don't need a sluggish Richy leading the line here. I hope Frank trusts Tel again.

Under the coaching of new manager Thomas Frank, Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in the top three of the Premier League after seven games.Â

At the core of the improvement from last season has been an improved defensive structure, giving the team a high floor. A season after finishing 17th in the league largely due to a porous defense that conceded the fifth-most goals, Spurs currently rank second-best in the category, going from conceding 1.71 goals per game last season to 0.71 goals per game this season.Â

This season’s defense has restricted the number of fastbreaks conceded to the opposition due to the deeper defensive line. This can be seen in the data from Opta, with Spurs conceding the joint-fourth lowest fastbreaks with 0.43 per game, and they are yet to concede from such a situation. Contrast this with last season, where the high-line and the defensive structure often caused vicious counter-attacks, with Spurs conceding the fourth-most fast-breaks with 1.13 per game and conceding the second-most goals in the league.Â

When the defense has been breached, Vicario’s shot-stopping has prevented multiple goals. According to Opta, Vicario has prevented the highest number of goals in the Premier League this season, with 2.9 goals prevented, and has the second-highest save percentage with 82.8%.

Tottenham are more direct under Thomas Frank

The attack has also seen a change of philosophy, and while the results have been positive, it’s fair to say it’s a work in process. Spurs have gone to a more direct and pragmatic approach, relying on crossing and set pieces as a major source of attack. However, Spurs have become stagnant with a lack of central midfield progression at times, with the systematic reliance on wider overloads combined with not having progressive players in the middle.

Although it’s partially down to Spurs finding themselves in positive game-states by taking early leads in a few games, one could argue that Spurs are quite fortunate to score 13 goals from a combined 7.53 expected goals (Opta) this season.

The biggest positive for Spurs has been new signing Mohmmad Kudus, who has seemingly made things happen out of nothing all season long. The assist-leader of the league this season ranks 1st among Premier League wingers in expected assists, successful dribbles, offensive duels won, accurate crosses, successful attacking actions, and duels won according to DataMB.

The likes of Pedro Porro with his progressive passing and crossing, and Cristian Romero’s deep progressions and carrying, along with his astute defending, have been some of the other big positives from the season so far

The Left-hand side has found a semblance of stability with the likes of Destiny Udogie and Wilson Odobert after notable struggles in attack earlier in the season.Â

The return from injuries could also provide major boosts for the team moving forward. Dominic Solanke’s hold-up play would give an outlet for build-up that has felt missing at times this season. Dejan Kulusevski will be a welcome addition when he recovers from his injury as a versatile player in the attack. Long-term, James Maddison is one of the finest playmakers in the league, and Spurs would be hoping for him to return to his best after his cruciate ligament.

Recently integrated and signed players like Mathys Tel, Xavi Simons, and Randall Kolo Muani provide further upside for Spurs moving forward.

Under Thomas Frank, Spurs have completely changed styles and have shown the ability to get the results. With the Foundations set, it’s time for the team to find its ceiling.