Aston Villa vs Tottenham
Aston Villa and Tottenham aim to get back to winning ways when they face each other at Villa Park this weekend.
Both sides have plans to make a late surge towards European qualification spots, making this match a must-win.
It’s still possible for the Villans and the Spurs to rally back since they aren’t far behind in the Premier League table.
As of the moment, Tottenham hold the slight edge since they are at the eighth spot with 45 points, while Aston Villa are right below them with 41 points.
Jose Mourinho’s side were on a tear towards the end of February with a three-game winning streak, but that was halted abruptly when they lost to Arsenal last week.
The Spurs also bowed out of the Europa League as they were swept aside by Dinamo Zagreb in shocking fashion.
Meanwhile, Dean Smith’s squad have yet to register a victory this month and they’ll be looking for some home comfort.
Today at SBOTOP, we look at both of these teams here in our match preview.
Talking points
Aston Villa can’t wait to have Jack Grealish back
Jack Grealish is back in training which should provide a timely boost for Aston Villa ahead of this match.
The midfield maestro sat out the last five games due to a calf injury and the Villans looked lost without him as they’ve only won once, which was against Leeds United.
Their attack was sub-optimal as they’ve only scored three times in the games without their team captain.
Bertrand Traore and Anwar El Ghazi had one goal each, but there weren’t any notable Premier League 2021 highlights to write home about.
The last outing saw Aston Villa draw level with Newcastle United as the latter scored the equaliser to cap off a frustrating evening for Dean Smith’s side.
Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish celebrates with teammate Ross Barkley after match against Leicester City at King Power Stadium
Grealish would’ve made a difference in that game but he was held back since there was still discomfort on his lower leg and he suffered an illness.
Dean Smith is optimistic that he can play on Sunday. However, his status will be considered as a game-time decision.
Ollie Watkins and Anwar El Ghazi will be the main beneficiaries of Jack Grealish’s impending return. Both forwards have combined for 19 goals so far this term and they will be tasked to lead the attack either way.
Tottenham are lacking the mental fortitude
Jose Mourinho was furious about his team crashing out in the Europa League against Dinamo Zagreb.
The Spurs came into the said game with a comfortable 2-0 lead, but disaster struck when Mislav Orsic scored a hat-trick all in the second half.
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris described the match as a “disgrace” while Mourinho blasted his wards during the postgame press conference.
Pressure is mounting on Mourinho as some angry Tottenham fans have called for his firing and it remains to be seen on whether how he’ll turn things around.
Unfortunately, they may have to do it without star winger Heung Min-Son as he is nursing a hamstring injury.
Mourinho is hopeful that Gareth Bale can fill in the void left by the Korean international. He is definitely the x-factor for the Spurs in this fixture.
History
History suggests that the Spurs will cruise to a victory as they have won over the Villans in 11 of their last 12 games in all competitions. Their sole loss came in April 2015 where Tim Sherwood was still at the helm for Aston Villa.
Since January 2008, Tottenham are unblemished in nine Premier League away games against Aston Villa (W7, D2), winning the last five in a row.
Recent fixtures between these two clubs have been high-scoring as both have punched in at least two goals.
This will be the first time that they’ll go head-to-head in the 2020/21 season. The Spurs achieved a double over the Villans last term with an aggregate tally of 6-3.
Betting Tip
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Aston Villa vs Tottenham | Tottenham Asian Handicap -0.00 @ 1.73 |
| March 22, 3:30(GMT+8) |
The Spurs are the favourites to win in this close match, as per the latest Premier League 2021 odds.
Tottenham are backed to win at 2.33, while Aston Villa are priced at 3.00 and chances for a draw are at 3.25 in the 1×2 market.
Tottenham have had a strong record against the Villans. And with their minds now fully focused on domestic matters, look for Jose Mourinho’s men to come out hungry and firing this Sunday.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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The post Premier League: Aston Villa and Tottenham Slated In Mid-Table Clash appeared first on SBOTOP.