The international break is over (finally), and we’re back with the Premier League this weekend as Tottenham Hotspur welcome Aston Villa in a clash of 4th vs. 5th.
With the Lilywhites hitting a stumbling block after an electric start and Villa in fine form, how should we expect this one to play out?
Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa: Midfield Battle Key
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Villans in Fine Form
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa are one of the most in-form teams in the entire Premier League. Aside from a somewhat shocking defeat to Nottingham Forest on November 5, Emery’s men were scoring for fun and keeping it tight at the back with their last defeat before that coming on September 3, going on a two-month-long PL unbeaten run.
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England striker Ollie Watkins has found his scoring boots again, ably assisted, both literally and figuratively, by summer signing Moussa Diaby. This dynamic duo aside, the midfield is where they win most of their matches. Captain John McGinn is well supported in the middle of the park by Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz, the latter of whom is significantly important.
Under Emery, Villa have been playing out from the back as opposed to the days under Steven Gerrard, where Emi Martinez would kick it up the field and hope Watkins could nod it down. In this new system, Luiz collects the ball from the defence and drives forward with it, through the centre of the park.
Douglas Luiz vs Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: Result-Defining Battle
Tottenham Hotspur are also in the midst of a tactical revolution under Ange Postecoglou. Unbeaten in the opening ten games, Spurs have been hit with a plethora of injuries and suspensions and as a result, lost their last two PL games. Long-term injuries keep summer arrivals Mickey van de Ven and James Maddison out until the new year, while vice-captain Cristian Romero and Mali international Yves Bissouma miss out with suspensions. These four players mentioned are key starters to the team and will surely be missed.
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The man most likely to be given the ‘Bissouma’ role in the team, of course, is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Having successfully filled in for him in the 2-0 win against Fulham, the Dane was questionable in his next start against Wolves, often looking unsure of his role when playing alongside Bissouma. We expect the 28-year-old to be able to do a more than capable job of stopping Luiz from transitioning the ball out of the defence into attack, however. Hojbjerg has on many occasions shown that he can be a great midfield ‘destroyer’ and is more than capable of breaking up play and thwarting opposition attacks. While tricky to call as they are both outstanding players in their given roles, that midfield battle will be critical in defining the outcome of this match.
Tottenham’s Destiny Can Lie With Udogie
The one return that Spurs would be delighted to see is the return of Destiny Udogie from suspension and to full fitness. His role as an inverted fullback would also be key here, as Aston Villa do not rely heavily on width. In fact, most of their attackers are more naturally central players. Therefore, how Udogie performs on the day will be instrumental as he attempts to create progressive overloads in what is sure to be a congested midfield. The young Italian can prove to be Tottenham’s most important player on the day.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa Match Prediction
This is a more difficult game to call than you’d think. On form and recent performances, Emery should walk to victory here. They are playing at one of the highest standards in the league, scoring goals for fun while employing one of the best offside traps in all of Europe. However, the opposition could exploit this with their quick attackers.
While no result would surprise me, a 2-2 draw might be my best guess.
