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Spurs were reported to have agreed a £60 million deal with Crystal Palace for the transfer of Eberechi Eze.

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Arsenal star Eberechi Eze has reflected on his decision to join the Gunners instead of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on a recent school visit.

The England international appeared poised to sign for Spurs with The Sun reporting that a £60 million fee had been agreed between Thomas Frank’s side and Crystal Palace. Tottenham Hotspur were set to pay £30 million up front to secure the in-demand attacking midfielder with the rest coming in instalments.

However, at the last minute, Arsenal swooped in and lured the 27-year-old to the Emirates Stadium. That came as a blow to their bitter north London rivals.

Eberechi Eze reflects on Tottenham Hotspur snub

Ahead of Arsenal taking on his former side Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon, Eze visited The John Roan School in Greenwich to talk to pupils. During the visit, he was asked about making that choice, as per The Athletic.

Eze said: “I was prepared to go to Tottenham, but from the moment Arsenal came, it was always going to be them.”

He later added: “It’s a bit different from when I was at Crystal Palace. Playing for Arsenal (matches) are more like a show or theatre. There’s more pressure, playing for titles and in the Champions League, but it’s something I’ve dreamed of since being a kid. It’s not 100 per cent there at the minute, but I’m enjoying getting better.”

Spurs sign Xavi Simons instead

Tottenham Hotspur instead turned their attentions to signing Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig. Spurs were believed to have beaten Chelsea to that £51.8 million deal.

Neither Eze nor Simons have truly got off to a rapid start with their new sides and only time will tell which player becomes the better signing in the Premier League. Simons has made nine appearances for Spurs so far this season but has just one assist to his name, which came in his top flight debut against West Ham.

Simons is five years younger than Eze and, speaking this week, Spurs boss Thomas Frank has backed the midfielder to progress rapidly. He said: “We try to help every player. He has been with us for seven or eight weeks which is a very short time in football. He is adapting every day.

“I liked his personality, the way he played in the first 60 minutes against Villa. He then tired. My demands are more intensity in general. He has the passing, the vision. He trained really well today.”

In other news, Tottenham predicted line-up to face Everton: Four changes made including Xavi Simons decision.

Arsenal and Chelsea both saw convincing wins in the Champions League this midweek

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The Champions League is well underway for this season, and the third midweek round of matches for the competition served up some must-watch encounters as English sides ran riot.

Arsenal’s 12-minute second-half blitz blew Spanish giants Atletico Madrid away 4-0, while Chelsea had three teenagers on the scoresheet including Brazilian wonderkid Estevao as Ajax were thrashed for five at Stamford Bridge. Tottenham Hotspur provided a hard-fought defensive display inspired by goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to earn a goalless draw in Monaco, while outside the capital Liverpool and Manchester City were also victorious.

The sheer magnitude of score lines enjoyed by Premier League sides this week only fuelled the growing idea that English clubs could do well in this year’s competition. This was backed up by European football expert Guillem Balague, who claimed on BBC Match of the Day’s Champions League highlights show that the English top flight should have “five clubs in the quarter-finals [of the UCL], three in the semi-finals and two in the final”.

How much money would the clubs in question earn if that were to happen, and how much have they earnt already?

London clubs’ winnings in the Champions League already this season

Arsenal have won the most prize money out of the English clubs in the Champions League so far this season, having picked up an 100% record of three victories from three to sit fourth in the league phase, behind PSG, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan on goal difference.

Each club in the competition earns a starting fee of €18.62 million (£16.2m) for qualification to the league phase, while there is prize money of €2.1m (£1.8m) per victory and €700k (£608k) for a draw. There is an additional ‘value pillar’ fund, which amounts to 35% of the total prize pot, and is calculated by a club’s coefficient and broadcast revenue. The total purse for the competition this season is a cool €2.467 billion (£2.142b).

Considering the starting fee and prize money picked up already, Arsenal have earnt €24.92m (£21.6m) for their exploits so far in the competition after three wins. Chelsea have earnt €22.82m (£19.8m) for their two wins and a defeat, while Spurs have picked up €22.12m (£19.2m) for their one victory and two draws.

How much could Arsenal or Chelsea earn for winning the UCL?

There are mouth-watering prize money funds for each stage of the competition reached once we get to the knock-out rounds in 2026.

While €1m is gained for taking part in a knock-out phase play-off, €11m is then brought in for those who qualify for the last 16 and €12.5m for the quarter-finalists. The semi-finalists then earn €15m, the runner-up pockets €18.5m and the winner of the final earns a huge €25m. As each of these totals are totted up round-on-round, the knock-out stages alone are worth up to €83m (£72m).

Should Arsenal, for example, win every league phase game and then go all the way to win the trophy for the first time ever, their total prize pot would be a staggering €115.2m (£100m). Chelsea could win up to €113.1m (£98.2m) thanks to their defeat in Munich, Spurs can win up to €112.3m (£97.5m), and so on. This is not including the winner’s share of the value pillar fund, which is more difficult to calculate, but would no doubt be high for any English side winning the competition due to the Premier League’s global broadcasting power.

PSG earnt a whopping €83.12m (£72.2m) in prize money for going all the way to win the competition last season, but with the total prize pot increasing this term, that total could be dwarfed by whoever wins the famous trophy this time around.

Thomas Frank travels to Paris at the end of November with Tottenham Hotspur now confirming ticketing details.

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Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to take on Ligue 1 giants AS Monaco in France this evening as Champions League action returns following this month’s international break.

Thomas Frank is looking for a response after being beaten 2-1 at home by Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon and for a second Champions League win of the season. Spurs beat Villarreal 1-0 last month and drew 2-2 against Bodo/Glimt in their last European outing.

After AS Monaco, the North London outfit welcome FC Copenhagen to the capital before a tantalising trip to Paris Saint-Germain at the end of November. The club has now announced ticketing news for that match with frustration over the allocation.

Tottenham Hotspur confirm Paris Saint-Germain ticket allocation

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Tottenham Hotspur said: “Supporters will note that our ticket allocation for this match is below the five per cent allocation that all visiting clubs are entitled to under UEFA competition regulations. The Club requested the full allocation and have been in dialogue with both PSG and UEFA on this issue. We have been informed the reduced ticket allocation is a safety & security directive from the local authorities in Paris, which applies to all European matches played at Parc des Princes.”

Spurs have been awarded a 2,000 general admission allocation for the trip to Paris, with 12 wheelchair spaces and 12 spaces for ambulant seating. Ticket prices are set at £43.50.

That is the same allocation that Arsenal were given for their Champions League semi-final second leg at the Parc des Princes earlier this year. A request from local police was also cited as the reason then with 4.1% of seats being offered, rather than 5%.

Arsenal fans call for UEFA action at Parc des Princes

At the time, the Arsenal Supporters Trust told The Guardian: “It’s not fair that every club that plays a Champions League game in Paris has less tickets for their supporters. We don’t expect it will make much difference for next week’s second leg but the new format means that English clubs are going to be playing PSG more regularly over the next few years so something needs to change.”

PSG were in Champions League action on Tuesday night and thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 7-1 in Germany, making in three wins from three and a goal difference of 10 in the competition so far this season. The French outfit sits top of the standings at this stage.

Tottenham Hotspur and PSG have recent history having met in the UEFA Super Cup in August - Spurs having won the Europa League and PSG the Champions League in 2025. Luis Enrique’s side won that match on penalties, completing a late comeback having gone 2-0 down after 48 minutes.

In other news, AS Monaco vs Tottenham injury news as 7 ruled out and 2 doubts for Champions League clash.

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur both have the chance to bolster their ranks in the January transfer window

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Chelsea won 3-0 away at Nottingham Forest over the weekend in their most recent Premier League outing. Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto and Reece James got their goals against the Reds. Enzo Maresca’s side are sat in 5th place in the Premier League table after their first eight fixtures.

As for Tottenham Hotspur, they were beaten 2-1 at home by Aston Villa last time out. Rodrigo Bentancur was on the scoresheet for them but they weren’t able to get a result in the end. Thomas Frank’s men are positioned in 6th in the league.

Chelsea eye FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa

Chelsea are ‘preparing’ a bid for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa this winter, according to Fichajes. The report adds that they are willing to pay over £87million to snap him up. The Blues have the chance to further bolster their squad in the January transfer window.

Aghehowa, 21, is a Spain international with three caps to his name. He has been a key player for his current club since joining them last year and has bags of potential. They could face a real battle to keep hold of him now though amid attention from elsewhere.

The prospect rose up through the ranks at Granada before Atletico Madrid snapped him up in 2023. He was loaned out to Alaves to get some experience under his belt and boost his development before Porto came calling. The forward has since adapted well to life in Portugal and has scored 35 goals in 54 games in all competitions, eight of which have come already this season.

Chelsea could see Aghehowa as someone to boost their attacking department. If he joined the London outfit, he would inject more firepower to their attacking ranks. In addition, he would give Maresca something different to pick from up top.

Tottenham Hotspur want Rayan

Spurs hold ‘strong interest’ in Vasco da Gama youngster Rayan, according to TBR Football. Newcastle United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion have also been credited with an interest in the player. He has made 26 appearances this term and has scored 10 goals in the league.

Journalist Graeme Bailey has said: “Rayan has enjoyed a very good season, but it remains to be seen if Vasco are willing sellers, but I am told intermediaries are operating with the belief a deal is there to be had. He has impressed hugely in recent months and a move to Europe is looking likely and it could very well be England.”

Rayan, 19, has been on the books of Vasco da Gama for his whole career to date. He has risen up through the academy of the Brazilian outfit and was a regular for them at various different youth levels. The teenager then broke into their first-team earlier this year and he hasn’t looked back since. Spurs may have identified him as one for the future and if they managed to secure his services ahead of others, he is someone who would be an exciting acquisition.

Tottenham Hotspur lured the talent to the Premier League in the summer transfer window for a hefty fee

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Tottenham Hotspur were beaten 2-1 at home by Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon. They took the lead early on through midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, their opponents fought back to win with Morgan Rogers and Emi Buendia on the scoresheet.

Thomas Frank’s side are currently positioned in 6th place in the Premier League table after their first eight fixtures. They are only a point off the top four and are back in league action on Sunday against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. In the meantime, they face an away trip to AS Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Tottenham Hotspur need to stick with Xavi Simons

Spurs forked out a hefty £52million to land Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig in the last transfer window. They paid big cash to sign the attacking midfielder and he was handed a long-term contract running until 2030. However, it has taken him a while to get going and he has struggled for form so far.

Simons, 22, has made seven appearances in all competitions for the London outfit to date, four of which have come in the league, and he is yet to score. He looked bright in spells against Aston Villa last time out but wasn’t able to stamp his mark on the game. The Holland international, who has 31 caps to his name, needs a goal as soon as possible to ease some of the pressure off his back.

As with any player from abroad, it can take time to adapt to life in a new country. The Amsterdam-born man is still getting used to unfamiliar surroundings and has been planted into one of the toughtest divisions in the world. Therefore, it is no real surprise to see him taking his time as he looks to find his feet.

What has Thomas Frank said about Tottenham Hotspur’s Xavi Simons?

Speaking after their defeat to Aston Villa, Spurs boss Frank had this to say about Simons’ performance: "I like Xavi's personality today, especially in the first half. I think he wanted to get on the ball, he wanted to create. I think he was very aggressive in the pressure. I think it was a fine game. I think I need to remember it myself when we judge players and they come into a new club, a new country. I know it's part of football, [but] we judge them with a very small sample of games. I'm not in doubt that Xavi will be good for us. Today was an average-plus game."

Simons is still young and has bags of potential. He is a more long-term option for Spurs and their supporters shouldn’t criticise him too much at this moment in time. He still has plenty of time to turn things around and prove himself in England.

PSG signed him in 2019 from Barcelona and ended up re-signing him later down the line from PSV. He then ended up on loan at Leipzig in 2023 before his switch to Germany was later made permanent. Simons was a hit during his time with the Bundesliga outfit and fired 22 goals in 78 outings, 11 of which came last term, to earn his recent transfer.

Spurs will have their fingers crossed that he can find the net as quickly as possible. If he does, the goals should start to flow for him. Everton will be tough opponents for Frank’s men this weekend and they will need to be at their best to get something at their new stadium. The Toffees beat Crystal Palace in their last outing there with Jack Grealish scoring a dramatic winner.

Tottenham Hotspur were beaten 2-1 at home by Aston Villa this weekend in the Premier League

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Tottenham Hotspur were beaten 2-1 at home by Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon. They took the lead early on in the game through midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur. However, the visitors fought back to win after goals by Morgan Rogers and Emi Buendia.

Thomas Frank’s side are sat in 6th place in the Premier League table and have 14 points on the board from their first 10 fixtures. They are only a point off the top four. The London outfit are back in action on Wednesday with an away trip to AS Monaco in the Champions League.

Tottenham Hotspur injury latest regarding Cristian Romero

Spurs defender Cristian Romero missed out against Aston Villa due to a ‘minor doctor issue’, Frank has said. Kevin Danso took his place in the starting XI alongside Micky van de Ven. It remains to be seen at this stage when he will be back available.

His head coach has simply said: “Minor doctor issue, nothing big.”

On whether he will be available against Monaco, he said: “I don't know. He could be, he couldn't. I just don't know. Right now, if I'm honest, I had one focus I went into the changing room and then I spoke to the players and then I prepared a little bit for Anthony for the questions they're going to have. And then I worry about the players tomorrow.”

When asked about the performance in general against Aston Villa, the ex-Brentford man explained: “I think the way the game panned out was exactly how I expected it to be, if I'm honest. A very even game against a very good Villa team, set up very well by Unai, where I think we performed quite well. What is, maybe not through the roof, I'm thinking what is through the roof is that totally dominating Villa, which has been a very good team in the last couple of seasons, clearly a very good team with good players.

“But I think we dominated in good spells, I think we came out with very good intensity, very aggressive, I think we were good in high pressure.”

When will Cristian Romero be back for Tottenham Hotspur?

Spurs will need to make checks on Romero over the coming days. They won’t want to risk him against Monaco if he isn’t ready, with Danso available to step in again if needed. Frank’s men face a trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium in the league next Sunday as they look to bounce back from their loss to Aston Villa and return to winning ways.

Romero has been on the books of his current club since joining them back in 2021. He was signed on an initial loan deal before his move was later made permanent. The Argentina international, who has 46 caps to his name, has been a good servant over the past few years. He has made 133 appearances in all competitions to date and has chipped in with eight goals from the back, one of which has come this term.

Tottenham Hotspur were beaten 2-1 at home by Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League. Rodrigo Bentancur scored an early goal as Thomas Frank’s side stormed into an early lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, the visitors fought back to win after goals by Morgan Rogers and Emi Buendia.

Spurs brought on the likes of Richarlison, Pape Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, Randal Kolo Muani and Brennan Johnson in the second half as they looked to claw themselves back into the game. However, they weren’t able to find another goal and slumped to a disappointing defeat. The London outfit are back in action on Wednesday with an away trip to AS Monaco in the Champions League as they look to return to winning ways. In the meantime, here is a look at the player ratings from their defeat to Villa...

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.”

Another Tottenham star has appeared to have picked up an injury while on international duty.

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The international break has not been overly kind to Tottenham, with another player picking up what looked to be an injury on Monday night. Spurs lost Yves Bissouma to another injury on Sunday, with the midfielder requiring a strettcher to leave the pitch just minutes after coming on for Mali in his first appearance in months following an injury.

It looks as though Bissouma will miss a chunk of time, though we don’t yet have full details of the injury. On Monday night, Wales had the opportunity to take control of their qualifying group, but they were outclassed by Belgium at home.

Former Spurs man Joe Rodon put Wales ahead, but Kevin De Bruyne scored a penaltysoon after, and Thomas Meunier flipped the game on its head. Wales hung around in the game but it was decided when De Bruyne scored a second from the spot in the 76th minute. Nathan broadhead pulled one back late in the game, but Leandro trossard scored almost instantly to keep it out of reach.

The result means Belgium are four points ahead of Wales having played the same number of games and one point ahead of North Macedonia with a game in-hand. The Red Devils don’t have to play any of those two teams again, so they are now likely to be World Cup bound, while Wales and North Macedonia will scrap it out for a playoff spot.

Wales need four points from their last two games to guarantee a play-off spot, facing Liechtenstein away and North Macedonia at home in their final two games.

As for the Belgium games, Tottenham star Ben Davies had a torrid time marky Jeremy Doku, and he went down late in the game, ultimately needing to be replaced due to complaints of an injury. It did not look overly serious, but the Wales captain had to come off, and that would suggest he will be a doubt for Sunday’s clash with Aston Villa.

Spurs players rated

WalesOnline have Davies a 5/10 for his performance, reasoning: “No player made more tackles, but to be honest he was given the runaround by Doku and co on his 100th outing. Subbed.”

As for Brennan Johnson, who came of the bench near the hour-mark, the report added: “Brennan Johnson (on for Brooks 58) - Didn't really have much of an impact - 5.”

Bellamy’s verdict

Speaking after the game, Wales boss Bellamy said of the defeat: “We wanted top spot. Because we go straight through. Straight through to our goal. But I'm aware of where we are, of what the Nations League brought us, and if we finish second we know there's another opportunity.

“But to me, I love playing against top teams. It's so good. Your heart's in your mouth at times and you're really living on the edge. I saw a lot today that made me feel we can get close to these. We need to keep improving and keep tweaking. But I told you at the start when I was going to do this. I'm going to press.

"I'm not sitting back. I know that gets against some people, but this is who I am. Today I saw a team with flaws, because I have them, a team that wants to do something because I want to. I have to compliment the players on that. I'm grateful for that."

All early team news and injury updates as Tottenham Hotspur prepare to face Unai Emery’s Aston Villa on Sunday

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Tottenham Hotspur host Aston Villa on Sunday as Thomas Frank’s side look to continue their surge up the Premier League table under the Dane.

The north Londoners finished in an unforgivable 17th place last season despite winning the Europa League, in a turbulent campaign marred by long-term injuries to several key players. Frank was given the task of a fresh start for the squad when he arrived in the summer.

While a number of first-team stars have sat on the sidelines at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Frank worked to improve his squad as a whole over the summer so that such injury issues would not be as catastrophic. So that has proven, as Spurs are third in the league after seven matches and just two points off arch-rivals Arsenal at the top.

Spurs face fellow regular European challengers Aston Villa next. The Villans made a poor start to the season but four successive wins in all competitions signified a return to form ahead of the international break, while they have not lost in the Premier League since August. Both sides may see several players return to contention for the match.

Randal Kolo Muani - Doubt

Summer signing Kolo Muani is targeting a return to action against Villa after five matches out with a dead leg. He missed France’s World Cup qualifiers in order to focus on his recovery in north London. The PSG loanee has not appeared in the Premier League but featured in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Watford on Friday. Frank has yet to confirm whether he will be back in contention on Sunday.

Dominic Solanke - Out

Fellow striker Solanke has also been out since August with an ankle issue. He had surgery in late September and more information is likely to be known after the international break about a potential return date for the Englishman.

Yves Bissouma - Doubt

Despite not being fit enough to feature for Spurs yet this season, Bissouma was nearing a return to full fitness and decided to join up with his native Mali over the international break. Coming on as a substitute against Madagascar, Bissouma was injured in a challenge after mere seconds and promptly forced off on a stretcher, which could prove a bitter blow for both player and club if he is to endure another period on the sidelines.

Dejan Kulusevski - Out

The Swede has been missed so far this season, despite the impressive exploits of new signing Mohammed Kudus. He underwent patella surgery in May and might be back in action before the end of the year, with his return “hopefully not too far away” according to Frank.

James Maddison - Out

Another creative spark whose loss Spurs were forced to compensate for in their summer transfer business, Maddison injured his ACL in pre-season and may not feature for the entirety of the campaign.

Kota Takai - Doubt

Similarly to Kolo Muani, Takai signed for Spurs in the summer but has spent his early months at the club on the sidelines with a foot injury. The 21-year-old Japanese might be in contention to return to the squad on Sunday.

Radu Dragusin - Doubt

Dragusin injured his ACL back in January and has been on a slow road to recovery ever since. Frank said in late September that it would be “a few weeks before he’s able to be involved”, suggesting Dragusin could be back in action against Villa or later in October otherwise.

Ollie Watkins - Doubt

Aston Villa’s biggest bit of team news ahead of the weekend is the fitness of Ollie Watkins. The England striker was forced off during the Three Lions’ victory over Wales after colliding with the post.

It has since been confirmed that Watkins has been ruled out of Tuesday’s qualifier against Latvia and has returned to Villa for assessment. The extent of his injury is not yet known, but it would be a blow if the Villans were to be without their star striker, who ended his goal drought with a goal against Fulham before scoring for the Three Lions on Thursday.

Youri Tielemans - Out

The Athletic confirmed last week that Tielemans could be out for another five weeks after sustaining a calf injury against Everton on September 13. This comes as a renewed blow for the Belgian, who has already missed six matches for the Villans.

Tyrone Mings - Doubt

Mings is expected to be back in contention after the international break, following an ankle injury which saw the centre-back withdrawn against Fulham. His availability for Sunday has yet been confirmed by Emery.

The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell wrote on X after the injury: “Tyrone Mings expected to return following the international break […] Further tests were undertaken once swelling had reduced.”

Jadon Sancho - Doubt

Villa loanee Sancho was also out with illness before the international break. The former England international has played just eight minutes for his new club in the Premier League and will hope to feature against Spurs.

Emiliano Buendia - Doubt

The Argentine was substituted against Burnley after suffering concussion when he was caught by the arm of Zian Flemming. He will hope to be involved on Sunday, but Villa will have been careful to monitor his condition over the international break.