I’m in a terrible mood as I head to the airport to board. I have a man cold—not in the horrible way you might expect. It’s not good, and in around three hours, I’ll be checking into my hotel and heading to bed. I’m praying that my alarm goes off in time for kickoff because this is a significant day.
With their new management, Spurs are performing well, and the clubs behind us are drawing nearer. This day is crucial. If we win, we’ll be in the top four at the halfway point of the campaign. I don’t want to miss this, and I believe we have a good advantage against Spurs because they are missing a number of key players.
The Spurs are going to be Spurs this season, and it doesn’t really matter who they start with since they will attack you for ninety minutes at home. However, our manager is aware of this and has made preparations for it. This is a major match.
I also need to fast stop this post because I may fall asleep, and I have what can only be described as the worst cold I have ever had.
And in true Irish style, I’ll head to my hotel, grab a hot toddy, and pass the time away. I’ll be back.
corresponding BBC facts
Head-to-head
After a run of four from 1994 to 1996, Aston Villa can only win three straight Premier League games against Tottenham, having defeated them both at home and away in the previous season.
Since August 1995, Tottenham has not dropped consecutive games against Villa at home.
Mauricio Pochettino, Ryan Mason, Nuno, and Antonio Conte were Spurs’ four previous managers in league matches versus Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In as many games, Ange Postecoglou will be the sixth.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs, who had not lost before, lost their previous two games while leading the score against Chelsea and Wolves.
The Lilywhites last suffered back-to-back league setbacks at the start of the previous season, which included losses to Wolves and Chelsea.
This season, they have given up a league-high six goals in stoppage time in the second half, including the final four.
In six Premier League games against Aston Villa, Son Heung-min has five goals, all of which have come at Villa Park.
Aston Villa
Villa has tied the club record of twenty-one Premier League wins in a calendar year, which was established in 1998. The last time they won 22 Premier League games in a single year was 1980.
They lead the division with 19 points from eight league games played since the international break in September.
However, in their last 10 away league games (D3, L5), Unai Emery’s team has only achieved two victories.
Before this weekend’s games, Aston Villa had the second-best goal scoring record in the division, but only six of their 29 goals had come from outside the area.
Since suffering a 3-0 loss at Fulham in Steven Gerrard’s farewell game as manager 13 months ago, they have not lost in their five Premier League trips to London (W3, D2).
While Arsenal fell 2-0 at home in a 2018–19 League Cup quarterfinal, Emery’s team is yet to lose in five league games against Spurs.