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· Last Year's Game - 2-1 to Spurs
· This season's away Game - 1-0 to Villa
· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 36 2003-4
Full Record of Spurs -v- Aston Villa
Prem Pl W D L For-Ag Pts
Home 12 5 4 3 14 -13 19
Away 13 1 4 8 8 -18 7
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Total(Prem) 25 5 8 11 22 -31 26
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Football Lge
Home (Div 1) 47 25 5 16 99 -77 62
Away (Div 1) 47 17 11 19 72 -75 48
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Total(Div 1) 94 42 16 35 171 -152 110
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Football Lge
Home (Div 2) 2 1 1 0 4 - 3 3
Away (Div 2) 2 0 1 1 1 - 3 1
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Total(Div 2) 4 1 2 1 5 - 6 4
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Total(Prem) 25 5 8 11 22 -31 26
Total(Div 1) 94 42 16 35 171-152 110
Total(Div 2) 4 1 2 1 5 - 6 4
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Grand Total 123 49 26 47 198-189 140
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Last Six Premiership results:-
Spurs
Spurs 2-1 Man City
B'mingham 1-1 Spurs
Spurs 1-0 Newcastle
Liverpool 2-2 Spurs
Spurs 1-1 West Brom
Arsenal 1-0 Spurs
Aston Villa
B'mingham 2-0 A. Villa
Newcastle 0-3 A. Villa
A. Villa 1-1 West Brom
S'hampton 2-3 A. Villa
A. Villa 0-0 Charlton
A. Villa 1-1 Bolton
Pos P W D L F -A GD Pts
8 Spurs 35 13 9 13 42-39 3 48
9 A. Villa 35 12 11 12 42-43 -1 47
This Sunday the visitors at White Hart lane will be Aston Villa, who last visited Tottenham in November, 2003, when a late winner from Robbie Keane secured the points for Spurs, who by then, had sacked Glenn Hoddle but were still teetering on the brink of the relegation zone. The 2-1 win lifted Spurs to 12th place, which was almost the highest position we achieved for the rest of the season. (We did make 10th for three weeks). When we visited Aston Villa for our 36th game of last season, we were once again on the edge of the bottom zone, but our Premiership status had been assured by Bolton beating Leeds, so the 1-0 defeat had little relevance. We went on to win our last two games anyway.
Both Villa and Spurs have been described as "Sleeping Giants" in recent years, and this Sunday, at least we battle it out in the continuing fight for 7th place in the Premiership and a place in Europe. Spurs have only won 2 major trophies in the last 14 years, and in Villa's case that description can be applied to the last 22 years (unless you include the Inter-Toto Cup which they won in 2001). Villa won 2 League Cups in the 90s, but it is 48 years since they won an FA Cup and 24 years since their last league title, although, more importantly you have to remember that Villa won the European Cup the following year, to retain the trophy for England for an amazing 6th year! 8 of Villa's trophies were won in the century before last, but those successes of the early 80s have ensured that the pressure for success continues to weigh heavily on the shoulders of their players, and of course Doug Ellis, their Chairman.
Villa's home win over us in November came at the end of a six-match consecutive run of defeats for Spurs, after which we went unbeaten for 8 games, and Villa slumped, managing only 1 win and a draw in their next 8 games. Thus Spurs have been above the "Villans" in the Premiership table since the turn of the year.
David O'Leary's side has enjoyed a recent burst of form, starting on "fight-night" at Newcastle, where they were the beneficiaries of the three sendings-off, two of which gained notoriety! Two weeks later, Villa made a fantastic turn-around at the other end of the Country, after falling 2 down to Southampton, before winning 3-2.
Year by Year these days, the fixtures almost replicate themselves and once again we face Villa in our 36th game. It's a bit spooky to say the least that two of our rivals (Vlla and Middlesbrough) have to play Liverpool at Anfield, and also meet Manchester City, who must fancy themselves as having an outside chance for this available space in Europe.
The way the fixtures shape, surely if Spurs beat Villa and Middlesbrough they will be in pole position on the last day of the season? We must take one step at a time of course, and nothing less than all three points will be enough this Sunday (kick-off 1 p.m.) My personal view is that Robbie Keane should start this game, as Jermain Defoe seems to be suffering a loss of form. Keane has a better scoring ratio since January, and has not spent as long on the pitch. We also need to counter Villa's pace in the middle, and if fit, I would prefer Michael Brown and Reto Ziegler to be starting this one in favour of Sean Davis and Andy Reid.
I'll predict 2-1 for Spurs.
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