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. Premier League Matchday 10 - last year
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Full Record of Spurs -v- Aston Villa

 
Prem          Pl  W  D  L   For-Ag  Pts
Home          29 14  7  8   45 -32  49
Away          29 11  8 10   41 -31  41
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Total(Prem)   58 25 15 18   86 -63  90  1.55 Pts per game
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Football Lge
Home (Div 1)  47 25  6 16   99 -77  62
Away (Div 1)  47 17 11 19   72 -75  48
======================================
Total(Div 1)  94 42 17 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
======================================
Total(Prem)   58 25 15 18   86 -63  90
Total(Div 1)  94 42 17 35  171-152 110
Total(Div 2)   4  1  2  1    5 - 6   4
======================================
Grand Total  156 68 34 54  262-221 204  1.31 Pts per game
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Last Six Premier League results:-

Spurs       -     LWWLWL
           
Spurs      0-1    Arsenal
Spurs      3-1    Brentford
Man Utd    0-3    Spurs  
Brighton   3-2    Spurs  
Spurs      4-1    West Ham
C. Palace  1-0    Spurs  

A. Villa    -     WWDDWD

A. Villa   3-2    Everton
A. Villa   3-1    Wolves
Ipswich    2-2    A. Villa
A. Villa   0-0    Man Utd
Fulham     1-3    A. Villa
A. Villa   1-1    B'mouth

Pos           P  W  D  L   F-A   GD  Pts
4. A. Villa   9  5  3  1  16-11   5   18
8. Spurs      9  4  1  4  18-10   8   13

A tougher challenge awaits

It's one thing to beat a weakened Manchester City side in the Carabao Cup, but a tougher challenge awaits tomorrow in the Premier League (2pm - SKY SPORTS) when Unai Emery Aston Villa side comes to town.

Emery fielded a much changed side for his League Cup game and paid the penalty by losing at home to last week's conquerors of Spurs - Crystal Palace. Villa come to Tottenham in fourth place and sit at the very top of the 36-team Champions League table after a perfect three-game start. Famously, one of Villa's victims was Harry Kane's Bayern Munich on a brilliant night at Villa Park.

Villa are back in force, and while we trounced them back in March, in their stadium, 4-0, they beat us to the coveted Champions League spot. Clearly, Villa have their eyes on retaining a top four position.

Spurs will have to manage without Micky van de Ven, who suffered a hamstring injury on Wednesday night. There's a chance he might return after the international break, but he leaves a big hole in Spurs' defensive capabilities. Dragusin is therefore likely to start, and he acquitted himself well against City, on both sides of the centre-back positions. Although both Romero and Werner left the field on Wednesday, Ange Postecoglou says both have a chance of being involved tomorrow.

Ange also said that Son will be available. The captain will be much-needed down the left wing. Villa's only definite absentee will be Ross Barkley, who was signed from Luton for £5 million in the summer. Barkley played at Villa on loan in the 2020-21 season.

Emery's Villa were busy in the summer transfer market. They needed to sell players to ensure they complied with the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), which permit losses of £105million over three years, before the deadline. They sold Douglas Luiz to Juventus for £42.3million, thus losing a midfielder who was crucial to their 2023-24 campaign, which ended with them qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 1983 (when it was known as the European Cup).

Other departures included Moussa Diaby who went to Al-Ittihad and Cameron Archer to Southampton.

Villa did make several signings, such as Iling-Junior, 20, from Juventus for €14million (about £11.9million) while Enzo Barrenechea, the 23-year-old Argentine midfielder, has also moved to Villa Park from the Italian club for €8million.

Midfielder Amadou Onana was a big capture from Everton and scored on his debut in a 2-1 win away to West Ham. 22-year-old defender Ian Maatsen came from Chelsea, having been loaned to Borussia Dortmund. Another 22-year-old, Jaden Philogene, signed from Hull.

For all the signings, 8 players have appeared in all Villa's Premier League games. They are goalkeeper Martinez, Lucas Digne, Pau Torres, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran.

Duran is a Colombian International, signed from Chicago Fire in 2023. Still only 20, Duran has forged a reputation as a "super-sub", and has scored some vital and spectacular goals, including Villa's winner against Bayern Munich.

Villa have strength in depth. I haven't even mentioned Konsa and the ferocious Matty Cash, skipper John McGinn and midfielder Jacob Ramsey.

Villa's executive was so pleased with their manager's achievement of qualifying for The Champions League, they gave him a new 5-year contract!

Villa are competing in the top level of European football since the 1982-83 season. Having won the 1982 European Cup by beating Bayern Munich 1-0, thanks to a 67th minute goal by Peter Withe, and heroic goalkeeping by substitute Nigel Spink, Villa were knocked out in the 1983 quarter-final stage by a Juventus side that included goalkeeper Dino Zoff, and the likes of Bettega, Tardelli, Rossi and Platini. Juventus were the losing finalists that year, beaten 1-0 by Hamburg.

Villa's last European venture was in the 2010-11 Europa League, having finished 6th in the Premier League. They were beaten in the play-off stage by Rapid Vienna.

Aston Villa's 5-1 loss at Newcastle on matchday 1 last season was the first time they had conceded 5+ in their first league match since 1951-52 (2-5 v Bolton Wanderers). They also conceded five goals in their last game of the season at Crystal Palace.

Last season Ollie Watkins became just the third player to score 50 Premier League goals for Aston Villa (after Gabriel Agbonlahor and Dwight Yorke), while he's the first player to score 10+ goals in four consecutive seasons in the competition for the club.

Gary Shaw, who died aged just 63 in September was part of Tony Barton's famous side that beat Bayern Munich in 1982 to win European Cup. In 1981 Villa won the English First Division for the first time in more than 70 years. Shaw was one of only 14 players who appeared in an extremely fit team that season. He scored 18 goals in 40 league appearances. Shaw's loss was commemorated this season before and during their 1-0 win over Bayern.

Villa are unbeaten in the league since their second game away to Arsenal. Thus, it's a very difficult game, and with our defensive frailties (plus the absence of Van de Ven), only the ultimate optimist would predict a Spurs win. I'll say 2-1 to Spurs!

I was only thinking the other day, when seeing Craig Pawson in action, that it had been a long time since he was in the middle for a Spurs game. It was over 19 months ago, in March 2023. That was a home win against Nottingham Forest. Mr. Pawson has had charge of five Premier League games this season. Now 45 years old, Mr Pawson is a Sheffield United fan.

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