Aston Villa vs Tottenham

Aston Villa might be in a great position to qualify for the Champions League if they defeat Tottenham Hotspur, who are visiting Villa Park on Friday, in the Premier League.

With two games left, sixth-place Villa's 63 points are tied with fifth-place Chelsea, while Spurs are in 17th position with 38 points after losing 2-0 to Crystal Palace last Sunday. Sixth-place Villa defeated Bournemouth 1-0 on May 10.

Given that they managed just six attempts, three of which came in first-half stoppage time, the home team was lucky to have left the Vitality Stadium with all three points when they played Bournemouth. The winners registered their final effort one minute into the second half.

Manager Unai Emery won’t be overly concerned with how his team wins—what matters is securing three points. Aston Villa are level on points with the final Champions League qualification spot, trailing only on goal difference. However, Chelsea still have tricky fixtures ahead, including matches against Manchester United and a final-day clash with Nottingham Forest, who sit seventh.

Missing out on Champions League football could have serious repercussions, potentially making it harder to retain key players. There are also growing concerns about the club’s compliance with profit and sustainability regulations.

Villa head into Friday’s match with back-to-back clean sheets and have been defensively solid in recent weeks—shutting out opponents in five of their last eight league games while conceding just three times in that stretch.

Their Premier League form has been outstanding, with seven wins in their last eight matches, just one defeat, and 16 goals scored. At home, they’ve been nearly unstoppable, unbeaten in their last 20 games at Villa Park (14 wins), including seven consecutive victories.

As for Tottenham, their defensive frailties were exposed against Crystal Palace, who could have scored more than twice given their 23 shots, 10 on target, and eight big chances created.

Under Ange Postecoglou, Spurs are enduring their worst-ever Premier League campaign. A loss on Friday would mark their 21st defeat in 37 league matches this season.

Tottenham have faced Villa twice this term—losing 2-1 in the FA Cup at Villa Park in February but securing a 4-1 league win at home in November 2024.

Postecoglou has blamed injuries and their Europa League commitments for their domestic struggles, arguing that their priority has been reaching the tournament’s final. However, his recent Premier League record is concerning, with seven losses in his last 10 games—the only win being a 3-1 victory over bottom-placed Southampton in early April.

Spurs’ away form is also worrying—winless in their last five league games on the road, suffering four defeats while conceding 13 goals and scoring just four times.