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Another chance for Spurs to climb out of the relegation zone
Arthur Ferridge
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Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Sam Tabuteau
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Tottenham have been handed fresh momentum in their fight to stay in the Premier League as they travel to face Aston Villa.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side remain in the relegation zone, two points adrift of safety, but could climb out of the bottom three with victory at Villa Park after West Ham were thumped 3-0 at Brentford.
Last weekend’s narrow defeat of Wolves, which ended a 15-match winless run, was not enough to quell relegation fears but De Zerbi will hope to at least build some momentum ahead of the run-in.
Villa, meanwhile, are at the business end of the Europa League, with this match coming between the two legs of their semi-final against Nottingham Forest, in which they trail 1-0 from the first leg. They are also need to win two of their last four league games to be certain of Champions League qualification next season.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Aston Villa vs Tottenham is scheduled for a 7pm BST kick-off tonight, Sunday, May 3, 2026.
The match will take place at Villa Park in Birmingham.
Where to watch Aston Villa vs Tottenham
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 6pm BST ahead of a 7pm kick-off.
Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the HBO Max app and website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Sam Tabuteau.
Aston Villa vs Tottenham team news
Tottenham have not had a full complement at their disposal at any point of this campaign, and that fact will not change in Birmingham.
Xavi Simons is the latest man sidelined with an ACL rupture, and he joins Cristian Romero and Mohammed Kudus in being out until the end of the campaign.
Dominic Solanke will miss out with a hamstring injury, while Roberto De Zerbi is optimistic Destiny Udogie can feature.
Pape Matar Sarr is a doubt with a shoulder injury, while Guglielmo Vicario remains sidelined after undergoing hernia surgery.
James Maddison has been named to a couple of matchday squads this season after recovering from an ACL surgery, but is not yet thought to be match fit. Dejan Kulusevski remains out with a long-term knee injury, with Wilson Odobert and Ben Davies completing the sidelined contingent.
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Villa, meanwhile, may look to rest key players in this match ahead of Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg.
Two players will certainly play no part, though, with Alysson and Boubacar Kamara ruled out with injuries. Amadou Onana is a doubt after being forced off against Forest.
Xavi Simons ruptured his ACL in the win over Wolves
Getty
Aston Villa vs Tottenham prediction
Tottenham’s laborious win over Wolves at the weekend will have done little to inspire supporters.
De Zerbi’s men flattered to deceive against the already-relegated Midlanders, and will face much stiffer opposition here.
Villa, of course, will be tired from their first-leg against Forest and thinking primarily of the second, but should have no great issues dispatching Spurs.
Aston Villa to win, 2-0.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Villa have won each of their last four matches against Tottenham by an aggregate score of 8-3.
Aston Villa wins: 62
Tottenham wins: 78
Draws: 34
Aston Villa vs Tottenham match odds
Aston Villa to win: 1/1
Tottenham to win: 2/1
Draw: 21/10
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
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Spurs boss out to quickly shift perceptions as West Ham defeat offers chance to escape bottom three
Defiant: Roberto De Zerbi believes that Tottenham can win all of their remaining games this season
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Sam Tabuteau
COMMENTS
Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Sam Tabuteau
I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.
The walls may be closing in on Tottenham, with just four games left to save themselves from relegation.
But Roberto De Zerbi wants to “silence the voice inside of us” and focus on “ourselves and the quality of my players” heading into the final month of the season.
Even after recording their first Premier League win of the calendar year against Wolves last weekend, the overwhelming feeling around the club has once again been one of negativity.
A season-ending injury for Xavi Simons, who became the third player to see his campaign prematurely curtailed since De Zerbi took charge, has been the main talking point ahead of Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa.
Spurs had seemingly found a solution to their creativity issues before Simons was stretchered off with an anterior cruciate ligament injury at Molineux. Not for the first time this season, it was one step forward and two steps back.
The idea of drafting James Maddison in for his first competitive appearance in 12 months has been floated, but De Zerbi is not convinced.
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“I would like to play with him, because he's a special player, he's a different player, but we have to consider the physical condition,” the Italian said in his pre-Villa press conference.
What De Zerbi is convinced of, however, is Spurs’ chances of staying up. He still believes they can win all of their remaining games.
“It is possible because we have good players,” he said. “We have Pedro Porro, we have [Destiny] Udogie, we have Micky van de Ven, we have [Rodrigo] Bentancur, we have [Joao] Palhinha, we have [Conor] Gallagher.”
De Zerbi’s belief has never waned since taking the reins from Igor Tudor. He knows how quickly things can change at the bottom of the table and West Ham’s 3-0 defeat at Brentford on Saturday has offered renewed hope.
At one stage last weekend, Spurs briefly smelled the rarified air of Premier League safety after Palhinha gave De Zerbi’s side the lead at Wolves before Everton equalised late on at the London Stadium to see Tottenham temporarily move out of the relegation zone.
Callum Wilson’s stoppage-time winner put a stop to Spurs’ celebrations. But having been offered a snapshot of what survival might look like, De Zerbi is keen to chase that feeling.
He is positive yet realistic, accepting of the club’s situation but unwilling to dwell on or “cry” about the past.
“I want to be realistic,” he said. “It's different being positive. (I am) not positive because today is sunny, it's Italian weather, and I'm positive, no, no.
“I want to be realistic, and for that, I feel this pressure to change the perspective. The same perspective you can see in different ways.”
De Zerbi admits the responsibility of keeping Spurs, a club who have not been relegated to the second division in nearly 50 years, in the Premier League is weighing on him.
He is watching everything. From Crystal Palace’s injury list ahead of their match with West Ham last Monday to the rolling news coverage on Spurs’ plight.
Ultimately, though, De Zerbi is not prepared to see his team branded as “losers” because “losers cry”, and, long-term, that is a habit that becomes hard to shake.
De Zerbi wants to end this torturous campaign with “no regrets”, so Spurs will “attack” the final four games of the season rather than accepting their fate.
With everything seemingly conspiring against them, De Zerbi is determined to shift the perception around the club.
Spurs have to face Villa, Leeds, Chelsea and Everton before the end of the season.
Their fiercest opponent, though, is in their heads. De Zerbi knows that personality can power Spurs over the line.
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Roberto De Zerbi earned his first win as Spurs boss at Wolves last weekend thanks to Joao Palhinha’s late strike at Molineux.
West Ham’s 2-1 victory over Everton quickly dashed the optimism that stemmed from Spurs’ first league win of the calendar year, but the Irons’ most recent result could give the north Londoners some reason to be positive.
Tottenham occupy the final place in the relegation zone, with Burnley and Wolves already fallen through the trap door into the Championship next term.
Spurs are two points of their London rivals, and have the chance to leapfrog them above the dreaded dotted line today after the Hammers’ 3-0 defeat at Brentford.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were thrashed at the Gtech Community Stadium as the Bees continued their surprise challenge for a European finish.
Should Spurs beat Villa today, they would jump above West Ham into safety, and that result would see Nuno’s men fall precariously into the bottom three.
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 6pm BST ahead of a 7pm kick-off.
Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the HBO Max app and website.
The 21-year-old has yet to start under De Zerbi, having also failed to nail down a regular starting berth under Igor Tudor and Thomas Frank.
He could, however, be handed an opportunity for more minutes following the news that Xavi Simons will miss the remainder of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
De Zerbi has always insisted that while Tel has not featured regularly since he took over from Tudor a month ago, he believes in the Frenchman’s talent.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, De Zerbi described Tel as “one of the best young players in Europe” and suggested he could be in line for a rare start away to Aston Villa on Sunday evening.
“He is a potential big player, a potential big talent at the moment and we have to help him become a top player because he has the right qualities to do that,” De Zerbi said.
“I’m sorry because I use him in not his favourite position, because he played two games as a right winger, against Wolves and Brighton. His favourite position is left winger but for example at Wolves he was important to win the corner for the goal.
“Now maybe without Xavi and Maddison and Odobert and all the other players he can feel more comfortable because he can prepare his game for one week without the thoughts of whether he plays or not. The responsibilities can be better for us and for him.”
He left Bayern in search of more regular game time, but played a bit-part role as Spurs lifted the Europa League last season and saw the majority of his minutes come in the Premier League, with Ange Postecoglou prioritising Europe.
Tel, who has started just nine league games this season, has seen his development stall and his World Cup aspirations vanish this term.
“I don’t know (if he can fulfil his potential) but it can be the right moment for him. The players become great when they understand the right moment to become better,” De Zerbi continued.
“Xavi in my time spent the time and was becoming great, and I could feel something different from him in personality and confidence, in performances as well.
“I don’t know if the credit is mine but maybe he understood the right position, had the right confidence and the ideas of the coach so he made the most of the opportunity.”
After a favourable result yesterday, Tottenham can boost their hopes of preserving their Premier League status when they take on Champions League-chasing Aston Villa this evening. Spurs won their first league game of 2026 last weekend and know if they can follow that up with another victory in the Midlands, the reward will be to climb out of the bottom three after West Ham were heavily beaten by Brentford.
Tottenham have lost both games against Villa this season - both of which at home - and their task at Villa Park has been made all the more difficult with Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke being added to an already lengthy injury list. However, Roberto De Zerbi is set to welcome Destiny Udogie and Pape Matar Sarr back as he plots a key win in the relegation battle.
Villa's upcoming Europa League semi-final second leg may prove a factor, though Unai Emery's side know they can all-but confirm a top-five finish with a win. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Sam Tabuteau.
Former Tottenham winger Chris Waddle is adamant that James Maddison must start if he is fit enough to play a role in Spurs’ Premier League run-in.
Tottenham remain in serious danger of being relegated to the Championship despite recording their first league win in 118 days away at bottom club Wolves last weekend.
Still two points from safety with just four games remaining this term, Spurs are in desperate need of attacking inspiration after losing Xavi Simons to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
The Dutch midfielder has been ruled out for the remainder of the season as well as this summer’s World Cup.
Maddison is the obvious replacement for Simons, but despite being named on the bench for Tottenham’s last two games, he has not played a competitive fixture now in nearly a year.
The 29-year-old has been working his way back to fitness after suffering his own ACL injury last August, and head coach Roberto De Zerbi is hesitant to rush the midfielder‘s rehabilitation.
With time running out for Spurs to avoid relegation to the second tier for the first time since 1977, Waddle is insistent that his former club must risk Maddison if he is in any way fit enough to play.
“I just wonder if he [De Zerbi] can get Maddison in the team. I think he’s a good player. We know the lad can create,” Waddle told Standard Sport, speaking on behalf of Prime Casino, which has a wide variety of online slots, including Football Cash Collect.
“And when he gets a ball and if he's feeling fit and he's confident about his knee, then he's got to be put into the team because he is a creative player.”
But they appeared to have found a solution to their creative issues with Simons starting on the left of De Zerbi’s 4-2-3-1 formation before drifting centrally as he did to great effect against Brighton.
Simons’ absence, the third season-ending injury De Zerbi has suffered since taking charge a month ago, means the Spurs boss has had to go back to the drawing board.
Waddle believes that Mathys Tel, who has struggled to earn consistent minutes this season, could also be the answer for Tottenham.
The French winger has impressed off the bench, forcing the corner from which Joao Palhinha struck the winning goal against Wolves, and could be in line for a rare start when Spurs travel to Aston Villa on Sunday.
“I thought Tel, who came on against Wolves, if he could hold that form, maybe this manager suits him. He does like to play on the front foot,” Waddle continued.
“He does like attacking players. He likes players who can do things on the ball. So Tel could be a bright spark in the last four games. But really, I just wonder if he can get Maddison in the team.”
That rallying cry came at the end of Spurs’ 2-2 draw at home to Brighton, in which they conceded a 95th-minute equaliser from Georginio Rutter, and De Zerbi has since been keen to stay positive.
“I can't change my face or myself depending on who is in front of me. Clear, honest and what I feel I say,” De Zerbi said.
“The voice says, ‘we are unlucky, we have too many injuries, we lost Xavi Simons and he was the last two games one of the best players and most important players for us, our medical staff is not good enough and the pitch of the stadium is not good, the pitch of the training ground is not good, it is impossible to win two or three games in a row because we have not won too many games in 2026,’ I think it is all negative things.
De Zerbi said his positivity stems from the reality of Spurs’ situation, insisting he is not blind to the problems at the club, but that he has seen enough in his first month in charge to believe they can stay up.
“I'm not [being] positive, I want to be realistic, it's different being positive, not positive because today is sunny, it's Italian weather, and I'm positive, no, no. I want to be realistic, and for that I'm like, so I feel this pressure to change the perspective. The same perspective you can see in different ways,” De Zerbi continued.
“One way is we are unlucky, we are at the bottom of the table. The other perspective is, yes, but we play with Pedro Porro, with Udogie, with Bentancur, with Bissouma, with Palhinha, with Gallagher, with Richarlison, with Kolo Muani. Kolo Muani two years ago, PSG paid £70 million [for him].
“He's not stupid, he's a top player. Mathys Tel is one of the best young players in Europe. Richarlison is in the Brazilian national team, he's not in a different team.”
“In the first half he was telling us he was feeling something in his calf but in another leg,” Unai Emery explained afterwards. “I don’t know how he’s going to recover.
“Hopefully in a few days he can recover. But of course we must be careful with him as well.”
Onana made his return to the Villa side at the City Ground, having recovered from a knock that saw him miss the defeat to Fulham last weekend.
With the second leg falling after the Spurs game, it is possible that the Belgium international is not risked on Sunday to give him more time to prove his fitness for the big European decider.
Villa are currently fifth in the Premier League table and are on course to qualify for the Champions League, regardless of the outcome from their Europa League journey.
Emery’s side have an eight-point advantage over sixth-placed Brighton which means a return to Europe’s top table could be sealed as early as this weekend, depending on results elsewhere.
Tottenham won their first league match in 2026 against already-relegated Wolves last weekend, but the result was not enough to lift them out of the bottom three due to West Ham’s win over Everton.
Roberto De Zerbi says he does not know if James Maddison will be able to play for Tottenham between now and the end of the season.
The 29-year-old has not played a competitive fixture in exactly a year - Spurs’ Europa League semi-final first-leg against Bodo Glimt - but has been named on the bench in each of their last two games.
De Zerbi has been hesitant to say that Maddison is fit enough to play in Spurs’ remaining four games, instead suggesting that he has been providing a leadership role within the squad.
In any other season, De Zerbi would be unlikely to risk Maddison. But with Xavi Simons now out for the remainder of the season after suffering an ACL injury against Wolves last weekend, he has a decision to make about Maddison’s fitness.
The England midfielder is training “very well” according to De Zerbi, but the Spurs boss admitted that while he would like to play Maddison, he did not know if he would be able to feature against Aston Villa or Leeds.
“I don't know, I would like to play with him, because he's a special player, he's a different player, but we have to consider the physical condition, a lot of things. But I think he can be important in the next three games,” De Zerbi said in his pre-match press conference.
But while he is cautious about throwing Maddison headfirst into a relegation battle, De Zerbi insists that he can have an impact on the squad, regardless of whether he is on the pitch.
Asked what qualities Maddison has provided since returning to Spurs’ matchday squad, De Zerbi praised his “experience” and “personality” while admitting he would need Maddison to be 100 per cent ready before bringing him into the team.
“If you have much experience, you are calmer. You can consider the timing when you have to speak, when you have to say something or not.
“And I want him to stay inside even if he doesn't play, because when he will be ready to play, I want him 100 per cent inside of the plan of the team.”