Birmingham Live

Aston Villa objected to Tottenham's request to move their Premier League fixture at Villa Park

Aston Villa were quick to write to the Premier League after Tottenham Hotspur opened discussions about rescheduling this month’s fixture at Villa Park.

However, their protests have been ignored after the Premier League granted Spurs their request to bring the game forward.

Tottenham had initially sought to play on Thursday, May 15, which would have given them an extra day of preparation over Manchester United for a potential Europa League final.

That final, set to be held at the San Mamés Stadium, would have taken place three days after Spurs were originally scheduled to visit Villa Park on Sunday, May 18.

Granted, it would be unfair for Spurs to have less preparation time than United if both teams reach the final. Still, there is little justification for the Premier League to accommodate Tottenham - especially given that no such concessions were extended to Villa this season or last.

Villa had to face Lille and Paris Saint-Germain while both French sides benefited from free weekends, as permitted by the LFP. No such accommodation was offered to Villa, who nonetheless fought hard to secure Champions League qualification last season - a monumental achievement considering Spurs had no European commitments at all.

This season, Spurs have struggled with fixture congestion, as reflected in their poor league form.

Currently sitting 16th with three games remaining, Ange Postecoglou’s side have lost 19 matches this season.

Villa, on the other hand, are aiming to surpass last season’s 68-point tally, all while competing in the Champions League and reaching the FA Cup semi-finals.

Just last month, Villa played every three to four days due to their heavy schedule across multiple competitions.

Beyond that, Tottenham are not even guaranteed a place in the Europa League final. Bodo/Glimt - who have beaten Porto, Beşiktaş, Olympiacos, and Lazio at home this season, scoring at least twice in each of those matches - will back themselves to score a couple more against Spurs on their plastic pitch at the Aspmyra Stadion this Thursday.

Villa view the Premier League’s decision as a clear case of double standards, especially given that their own requests for fixture flexibility were previously denied.

Moreover, Villa are still battling not only for Champions League qualification but for European football in general.

If Crystal Palace win the FA Cup, seventh place would offer a Conference League spot instead of a Europa League one. Eighth place could mean no European football at all, should Palace defeat Manchester City at Wembley next month.

Every point counts. This weekend’s opponents, Bournemouth, could close the gap to just four points ahead of the final two matchweeks of the season.

Aston Villa objected to Tottenham's request to move their Premier League fixture at Villa Park

Aston Villa were quick to write to the Premier League after Tottenham Hotspur opened discussions about rescheduling next month’s fixture at Villa Park.

Spurs are seeking more time to prepare for a potential Europa League final, which would take place three days after their currently scheduled visit to B6 on Sunday, May 18.

That’s right - Tottenham are far from certain to reach the final, as Bodo/Glimt will have something to say about that.

The Norwegian side, who have beaten the likes of Porto, Beşiktaş, Olympiacos, and Lazio at home this season, hold the advantage of playing the second leg at the Aspmyra Stadion on Thursday, May 8 - a week before Spurs want to face Villa.

From Villa’s perspective, there’s clear reluctance to move their final home fixture of the season from a Sunday to a Thursday night.

The match includes several pre-organised family activation activities that would not be possible if it were held in the evening.

Beyond that, there should be no justification for the Premier League to assist Spurs considering they offered no such help to Villa this season or last.

Villa had to face Lille and Paris Saint-Germain when both French clubs had free weekends, as permitted by the LFP.

No accommodation was made for Villa, who limped over the line to secure Champions League football last season - a goliath effort considering Spurs had no European commitments whatsoever.

This term, Spurs have faced congested fixtures and struggled to cope, as reflected in their poor league record.

Currently sitting 16th with four games remaining, Ange Postecoglou’s side have lost 19 games this season.

Villa, meanwhile, are on course to better last season’s points tally of 68, despite playing in the Champions League and reaching the FA Cup semi-finals.

In April alone, Villa played every three to four days due to their commitments across multiple competitions.

Premier League rules state that a club may apply to the board to rearrange any fixture for a different date or kick-off time.

The rules also state that the board may, at its discretion, change the date or time of a league match, but must first consult the clubs involved and any others potentially affected.

Villa believe that assisting Tottenham now would be a case of double standards, especially after their own pleas for fixture flexibility were ignored.

If the Premier League granted Tottenham their wish, they would be making a rod for their own back next season and beyond with so many of their top clubs competing for European honours.

Moreover, Villa are still locked in a battle not just for Champions League qualification, but for European football more broadly.

If Crystal Palace win the FA Cup, seventh place would yield a Conference League spot rather than a Europa League one. Eighth place would mean no European football at all if the Eagles beat Manchester City at Wembley next month.

Every point counts. Bournemouth are looking to close the gap, and Fulham could move within three points of Unai Emery’s side with a win at Villa Park on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur have been in discussions with the Premier League to change the date of their match at Aston Villa next month

Aston Villa have written to the Premier League to strongly oppose Tottenham Hotspur’s request to bring forward their fixture at Villa Park next month.

It is understood that Spurs want the match to be rescheduled for Thursday, May 15, to allow more preparation time for a possible Europa League final, which is set for Wednesday, May 21 at the San Mames.

Villa are currently scheduled to host Ange Postecoglou's side three days earlier, on Sunday, May 18.

Tottenham must first overcome Bodø/Glimt in the Europa League semi-finals to reach the final, where they could face either Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao.

Villa strongly opposed Tottenham’s request, citing their own congested fixture list this season, which has frequently involved playing matches within a three-day span.

Moving the game to Thursday, May 15 would leave Villa with less recovery time following an away fixture at Bournemouth on Saturday, May 10 - especially for a match that could prove pivotal in the race for European qualification.

Last month, Villa played eight games in just 24 days, including their Champions League quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain.

While the French champions were granted a free weekend by the LFP, Villa had to play away at Southampton just over 72 hours before hosting PSG for the second leg.

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Tony Mowbray greenlit a loan move for Tottenham Hotspur striker Will Lankshear before West Brom's transfer window ended

Tony Mowbray likes what he has seen so far from Will Lankshear in a West Bromwich Albion shirt so far, as the young loanee pushes for a first start when the Baggies face Millwall in need of a response on Saturday (kick off 3pm).

Albion were comfortably turned over by play-off rivals Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday night but Lankshear, borrowed from Tottenham Hotspur for the remainder of the season, turned in a second successive eye-catching cameo having been introduced from the bench in the second half.

There have been calls from some in the fanbase for Mowbray to partner the burly 19-year-old with fellow January signing Adam Armstrong, who scored on his debut in the win over Sheffield Wednesday but who saw another chalked off against Blackburn this week. Mowbray didn't rule that prospect out, either, after paying the teenager a compliment and promising that minutes are on the agenda.

However Albion line up when the team is announced at 2pm on Saturday, Mowbray has urged Lankshear, and indeed his centre forward counterparts, to ensure that he maintains a weekly selection headache, especially with the returns of Daryl Dike and Josh Maja on the horizon in the coming weeks.

"I think Lankshear did well when he came on the other day, but he's been very impressive in training," Mowbray said. "He's extremely strong for a 19 year old boy, he has immense power in both feet, he has intelligence and I'll be giving him game-time. The option will be sometimes to play Armstrong and Lankshear I suppose. Arma can play anywhere along the front. It'll depend what we need.

"You need to put players with goals against their name on the pitch. I am encouraged by young Will. He looks really exciting in training and, yes, we got Armstrong at the last minute who, in my mind, is guaranteed goals if you give him enough game time, but Will will be given an opportunity to play and hopefully he forces his way in.

"I was saying to Devante Cole the other day, when you get on the pitch bang one in because that'll make me think I have to give him a chance - his confidence will be up, he'll have scored. Don't come on, play on the wing and never see the goal - your job is to score. You want them all to do well but I can't play them all at the same time.

"It's good when you have guys banging the door because the guy in the team has to keep scoring or assisting to keep himself in the team. Let's see how we go, let's hope the strikers can really contribute."

Aston Villa welcome Tottenham in the FA Cup this weekend - they're without 11 first-team players including Timo Werner, Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero and Richarlison

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that Richarlison will miss the FA Cup tie with Aston Villa this weekend after suffering an injury set-back in the EFL Cup defeat to Liverpool on Thursday evening.

Brazilian Richarlison limped off with a calf complaint in the first half of the 4-0 humbling at Anfield, having spent most of this season sidelined through hamstring injuries at it is. It was clear pretty much immediately that something had gone wrong for the forward when he pulled up. Now, he is set to be missing again for the foreseeable future - and certainly for Sunday's fourth round tie.

"It's disappointing for him," Postecoglou told Football.London. "He was emotional last night because he worked really hard to get himself back but again, it's another setback that he's going to have to deal with, we're going to have to deal with and hopefully get him back as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, none of the other ten players who have been missing on Spurs' lengthy injury list are currently set to return this weekend. Postecoglou is currently without a whole host of key first team players, many of who make up the spine of the starting XI and who, in their absence, have been deeply missed with Spurs' form taking a hit in recent months.

Striker Dominic Solanke, playmaker James Maddison and centre half Micky Van de Ven are among the number on the sidelines currently, now rejoined by Richarlison, and Postecoglou will have to make for Villa Park with what is remaining of his available squad.

"I know that this is all kind of reactive to last night," he added. "Vicario, Romero, Van de Ven, Solanke, Wilson Odobert, Udogie, Maddison, Brennan Johnson, I could go on and on. We had 10 missing players last night. If you take seven or eight key players out of a team it has an impact. I know constantly saying it dulls people to it but it's true. The main thing I would take from last night's game was the way we went about it.

"No, I didn't think anyone...we thought maybe Micky was a chance for Thursday. I didn't think this week, it was the start of next week where we're still hopeful we'll get at least two, maybe three back for the Man United game.

"We've got two full weeks of training, which I think over these two weeks we'll get the majority of the players back with a bit of luck, provided we don't lose anyone else like we lost Richy last night. I knew this week was going to be a challenging week in terms of personnel, because we just weren't going to get anyone back, so there's no sort of disappointment that anyone missed out."

Aston Villa welcome Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday (5.35pm), hoping to keep alive their chances of lifting silverware in the competition which they haven't managed to since 1957. Villa came close in 2015 under Tim Sherwood when they reached the final of the cup, but it's been almost 70 years since they last emerged triumphant.

They'll welcome Spurs, who are still fighting in four competitions - they head to Liverpool on Thursday evening for the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final, a tie they lead 1-0 - and who have begun to find a little form recently after a miserable winter.

Villa will have a number of their January signings in tow. While they bade farewell to Jaden Philogene, Diego Carlos and Jhon Duran in the transfer window, as well as allowing the likes of Emiliano Buendia and Kosta Nedeljkovic leave for Germany on loan, the Lions were busy working on sealing incoming transfers too. They made five additions, including three in the final couple of days of the window.

Andres Garcia started at Wolves last weekend while fellow new signing Donyell Malen was one of four substitutions at the break. That pair were joined by Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Axel Disasi at the very end of the transfer window, all on respective loan deals from Manchester United, PSG and Chelsea. But can they play against Spurs on Sunday?

For the majority, they'll be cleared to play - and in the cases of Rashford and Asensio, it'll be the first opportunity to feature at Villa Park and in a claret and blue shirt. Rashford wasn't involved in the squad as United beat Arsenal on penalties in the third round at the Emirates Stadium, so he is eligible to play for Villa.

Overseas signings, of course, have no issues; Malen, Garcia and Asensio are all available for selection, and for Spaniard Asensio he too is likely to step onto the Villa Park turf for the first time.

One player who will have to wait for his opportunity, though is Disasi, who is cup-tied. The French centre-half played in Chelsea's 5-0 win over Morecambe in the third round and can't take part in any FA Cup ties that Villa contest from here until the end of the season.

He can't face parent club Chelsea on February 22 in the Premier League either, as nor can Rashford against United at Old Trafford on May 25 (4pm kick-off).

Tottenham Hotspur could be in the running to sign former Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish during the January transfer window, although Newcastle United might still throw a spanner in the works.

Whispers have been circulating recently that Spurs are eyeing up Grealish as a potential new recruit this January to enhance Ange Postecoglou's attacking arsenal. Grealish has slipped down the ranks at Manchester City and there have been previous links between him and Spurs.

In 2018, Grealish was on the brink of joining Spurs when chairman Daniel Levy was negotiating to bring the England star onboard, but fresh investment at Aston Villa before a deal was finalised put paid to the transfer. He eventually signed a £100million contract with Man City in 2021.

City's shaky performance in the Premier League this season has somewhat coincided with Grealish's lack of game time. The 29 year old has only started six Premier League matches and hasn't scored a single goal in any competition yet, managing just two assists all season so far.

However, Tottenham aren't the only club linked with a January swoop for Grealish, with Newcastle United also reportedly interested in the City player.

Magpies manager Eddie Howe has dismissed speculation about a potential transfer, emphasising the team's focus on upcoming fixtures. In his latest press briefing before the clash with Spurs, Howe remarked: "I don't believe currently we have [the financial capability] but we're not really concentrating on incomings. We're focusing on the massive games in front of us."

With Newcastle stepping back from the fray, it appears Spurs may have a clear path to pursue negotiations for Grealish, which is expected to be a loan arrangement.

Wolverhampton Wanderers picked up a point on the road at Tottenham Hotspur as a 2-2 draw extended Vítor Pereira's unbeaten start to life in the Wolves dugout.

After beating Leicester City 3-0 and Manchester United 2-0, the Portuguese boss had brought a new lease of life to this Wolves side who are in a good patch of form over the festive period. Their tie with Spurs resulted in an important point as they enter 2025 out of the relegation zone.

South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan opened the scoring for Wolves after just seven minutes, the 28-year-old sweeping home a pinpoint effort from a well-worked free kick. Spurs responded just five minutes later though, Rodrigo Bentancur heading in from a corner.

As half time beckoned, Ange Postecoglou's men won a penalty, however José Sá was there to meet Son Hueng-min's strike from the spot to keep the score level. However, Spurs did take the lead in first-half stoppage time when Brennan Johnson put the ball past Sá following Dejan Kulusevski's low cross.

With it looking like the hosts were going to claim all three points, Wolves battled on and found a late equaliser through Jørgen Strand Larsen who lashed home in the 87th minute.

The draw continued Spurs' turbulent form this season, but it was good news for Wanderers who now sit one place above the relegation zone and one point above Leicester City in 18th.

Long live the revival

After such a torrid start to the season under Gary O'Neil, new boss Pereira has been the breath of fresh air that Wolves have needed. With The Guardian highlighting the 'revitalisation' that has happened under the Portuguese coach, the two goals conceded against their North London opponents were the first two conceded in the Pereira era after picking up a duo of clean sheets in his first two games.

The Guardian labelled the first half 'strange' as Spurs finished on top despite their 'slapstick' moments, most notably when Dominic Solanke and teammate Bentancur tangled as they both went for a shot at the same ball.

The publication voiced the general consensus that everyone knew a late goal was possible, but noted that Matheus Cunha's withdrawal through injury was a cause for concern before they eventually did equalise.

Strengthen from strength

Whilst Wolves fans have every right to buzzing from Pereira's start to life in the Black Country, however, The Athletic was of no illusion that signings are still needed to bolster the Old Gold's leaky defence.

With the best place to strengthen being from a position of strength, the West Midlands club are in a good place to recruit going into the January window. They started at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a back three including just two centre backs in veteran Craig Dawson and the unproven Santiago Bueno. Their other options include other unproven prospect Yerson Mosquera and the injured Toti Gomes, meaning that Wolves desperately need some Premier League quality in their ranks ready for the second half of the season.

They currently have the joint-worst defensive record in the league with 42 goals conceded.

Purple is the colour

The purple third kit of Wolves coincided with their purple patch in their draw with Spurs, as pointed out by the Daily Mail.

With a verdict on Brazilian forward Cunha's ban for violent conduct looming, now alongside an injury question, Wolves started the game the better before their opponents grew into it. The late equaliser for Pereira's men resulted in the home crowd voicing their displeasure through loud boos at the full-time whistle.

Wolves' noisy travelling fans, though, were in full voice in N17 as they enjoyed the 'fighting spirit' of their 'rejuvenated' team.

No Cunha, no problem

Much to the worry of the Wolves faithful, their talisman Cunha was withdrawn at half time and seen on the bench in the second half with an ice pack under his knee. The 25-year-old has been outstanding for the struggling pack throughout the first half of the season, picking up 10 goals and four assists in the Black Country side's 19 Premier League games. His substitution could well have felt like Wolves would wave goodbye to any chance of claiming points on Sunday.

However, as The Telegraph emphasised, his replacement Jørgen Strand Larsen scoring meant that the Pereira's men recovered from the blow of losing their best player as they claimed a point on the road.

A passionate Pereira told The Telegraph: "I celebrate because I’m emotional and when I’m on the pitch it’s like I’m playing. I like to celebrate with my players. It’s a good result for us. The spirit that I saw in the second half, I’m very happy and I’m proud."

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has called for his squad to have a breather following their continued slump in form, which saw them held to a 2-2 draw at home by Wolves. Jorgen Strand Larsen's late equaliser thwarted Tottenham's hopes of securing their first win in three Premier League matches.

Despite falling behind, Spurs showed resilience as Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson turned the game around, with Johnson netting just before the break. This came after Son Heung-min's earlier penalty was saved by Wolves' keeper Jose Sa.

However, Wolves, still unbeaten under their new manager Vitor Pereira, levelled the score late in the game with Strand Larsen's impressive strike. Tottenham's defensive woes were highlighted as all four senior centre-backs struggled with injuries prior to the match, and now Destiny Udogie could be sidelined with a potential hamstring issue.

With a significant fixture against Newcastle on January 4 looming, Postecoglou emphasised the need for rest. "We're asking a lot of a small core group of players. The whole group probably needs a couple of days to get away and recover," he remarked.

"It has been really intense for a core group of players. It will do them good to go away with their families to recover with their families mentally as much as physically. I will keep going and look for help to get these players to perform at their best.", reports the Express.

Spurs suffered a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day, followed by a 6-3 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool prior to Christmas. This dip in form disrupted what seemed like a resurgence from Postecoglou's squad after they hammered Southampton 5-0 and confidently dispatched Manchester United in the Carabao Cup.

Spurs are without key centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven due to hamstring injuries, while Ben Davies is also sidelined with a similar issue and has encountered a setback on the road to recovery. Radu Dragusin brushed off concerns over a twisted ankle to be included in the lineup against Wolves.

The youngster was paired up with Archie Gray in defence, a player more naturally suited to right-back or midfield roles. Between the sticks and further upfield, the team is missing goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and attackers Richarlison and Wilson Odobert for an extended period.

Postecoglou remarked, "It doesn't feel like we're getting a smooth run at anything. As soon as we get one back we lose one," highlighting the challenge his team faces due to persistent injuries. "But we have to get through it. We still have a lot to play for. With what's on the horizon we have to give them all the support we can to perform at their best."

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecolgou has expressed his regret over his side not being able to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers after they were held to a 2-2 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

Wolves took an early lead through Hwang Hee-chan who struck home a well-worked free kick routine after just seven minutes before Spurs responded five minutes late when Rodrigo Bentancur nodded from home a corner. The hosts then went ahead in first-half stoppage time, Dejan Kulusevski setting up Brennan Johnson who swept the ball into the net, just minutes after captain Son Hueng-Min had had a penalty saved by José Sá.

Postecoglou's men looked set to take all three points from the match until Jørgen Strand Larsen notched a late 87th-minute equaliser to level the playing field once more and continue Vítor Pereira's unbeaten start to life in the Wolves dugout.

Despite the even scoreboard, Spurs' Australian boss was adamant his side should have come away from the game as victors and stressed Wolves' lack of threat.

"[It was a] disappointing outcome," the 59-year-old said after game, speaking to the BBC.

"It’s a game we should have really put to bed a lot earlier. After going a goal behind we had opportunities. Obviously, we scored twice but we had opportunities to get a third and at 2-1 the game is always in the balance. They weren’t really creating much, I mean Fraser Forster hardly had a save to make but obviously then they score and makes it, from our perspective, a disappointing outcome.

"Both their goals were good strikes and we paid the price."

Both sides did, in fact, manage the same of shots on target (three) with Spurs having 13 efforts to the visitors' 11.

Postecoglou was forced into a makeshift defence again against Pereira's side, with backup player Radu Drăgușin partnering 18-year-old midfielder Archie Gray at centre back, and they suffered another defensive injury when Destiny Udogie was forced off five minutes into the second half.

Wolves' new boss Pereira remains unbeaten after the draw in North London, winning his first and second games 3-0 and 2-0 against Leicester City and Manchester United respectively. The Portuguese boss has brought a much-needed resurgence to the Black Country club after a torrid start to the campaign and has lifted them out of the relegation zone with them now sitting one place above it on 16 points, two points above Leicester in 18th.