BuildABet @ 15/1
- Dejan Kulusevski 2+ shots on target
- Aston Villa 5+ corners
- Youri Tielemans to commit 2+ fouls
A contest that has all the potential to be an entertaining one, the bookmakers are taking no chances when it comes to Tottenham's meeting with Aston Villa on Sunday.
Over 2.5 goals is 4/9 - the second-lowest price on this line of the Premier League weekend - while you have to go up to 12 corners to get odds-against.
Spurs will be buoyed by their 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup in midweek, a result which further enhances the possibility of a trophy this season. After all, Ange Postecoglou recently declared "I always win things in my second year".
The Premier League is a huge stretch in that and they're struggling to find the early consistency for a top-four challenge. The same can't be said for their opponents though who continue to go from strength-to-strength under Unai Emery's guidance.
Spurs can cling onto strong home form which has delivered six wins from seven in all competitions. It's clear that the majority of their points will be earned in front of their own supporters.
What are the best bets?
In truth, while this should be a great game to watch, it isn't a particularly appealing one from a betting perspective. That's in terms of singles anyway.
Prices are short across the board as goals are expected to flow. There may be a case to take the unders but I don't have a great deal of interest given that I agree with what the markets are indicating.
With the huge amount of televised action, as ever, across the weekend, I'm happy to NO BET this one.
Sky Bet have 13 players showing at 3/1 or shorter for a card so there isn't even really a route in that way either following their bookings-fest last weekend.
Dejan Kulusevski to score anytime is perhaps the one thing I would go for given his sometimes high volume of shots from a central position yet I'm not sure if the 10/3 or 7/2 available is good value or not.
I'll sit this one out and just enjoy the spectacle.
Team news
Tottenham will be without defender Micky van de Ven after he suffered a hamstring injury in the first-half of their victory over City.
That should see Radu Dragusin brought into the back line, but they may still be without forward Son Heung-min as he's been absent in recent contests.
Emery has a near full Aston Villa squad to choose from and should make changes from the side which lost to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.
Tyrone Mings ended his long absence following a serious knee injury picked up in the opening day last season, but Pau Torres should return to the defence.
Predicted line-ups
Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie; Bissouma, Maddison, Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, Moore.
Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; McGinn, Onana, Tielemans, Ramsey; Rogers, Watkins.
Match facts
- Tottenham have lost three of their last four Premier League meetings with Aston Villa, though did win the last such match 4-0 in March. They’d only lost two of their previous 21 against the Villans (W16 D3).
- Aston Villa have won three of their last four Premier League away games against Tottenham (L1), including the last two in a row under Unai Emery. They last won three consecutive away league games against Spurs between 1922 and 1924.
- Tottenham have lost nine of their last 16 Premier League games (W6 D1), with only Wolves (12) losing more since the first game in this run in April. Spurs had only lost seven of their first 31 games under Ange Postecoglou (W18 D6).
- Tottenham have conceded the first goal in 11 of their 13 home Premier League matches in 2024 but have come back to win seven of those games. The only team with more home wins when conceding first in a single year are Newcastle United in 2002 (8).
- Only Liverpool (13) and Nottingham Forest (11) have won more away Premier League points this season than Aston Villa (10 – W3 D1). Villa have only won as many as four of their opening five away league games in a season once before, doing so in 2020-21 (W4 L1).
- Aston Villa have won nine of their 13 away Premier League games in London under Unai Emery (D3 L1). That 69% win ratio is the best by a manager at a single club in away games in London in Premier League history (min. 10 games).
- Only two of Tottenham’s last 71 home Premier League games has ended as a draw (W47 L22) and they are the only side without a home draw since the start of last season (W16 L7).
- Tottenham’s Son Heung-Min has been involved in nine goals in eight Premier League games against Aston Villa (6 goals, 3 assists), though all six of his goals against them have come at Villa Park. No player has scored more against an opponent without netting a home goal in the competition.
- In 2024, Aston Villa have scored the most Premier League goals from subs (10) and have the most goals and assists combined from subs (10 goals, 7 assists). It is the joint most sub goals they’ve scored in a single year, also netting 10 in 2023.
- Tottenham have scored 49 goals in 23 home Premier League games under Ange Postecoglou. The only manager to hit 50 goals in 24 or fewer home games with Spurs is Antonio Conte (50 in first 20).
Odds correct at 1655 GMT (31/10/24)
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