Aston Villa Form
Even before their defeat against Fulham (0:1) in the last round, Aston Villa had built up a solid cushion over their pursuers. Yes, the Birmingham side have dropped out of the top three and now sit fifth, but their advantage over Brighton and Hove Albion in sixth is eight points – a Champions League berth is almost secured. At the Craven Cottage the visitors looked more passive in attack (0.93-1.17 on xG), but they enjoyed more of the ball (61-39 in possession). The same thing happened in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest (0:1), where the gap in expected goals was even bigger (0.76-1.46 on xG).
Key Aston Villa Numbers:
- At home the Birmingham side have allowed 22.12 xGA – the worst figure among the top seven in the Premier League.
- Aston Villa have conceded in five of six matches in all competitions since the March international break.
- The Birmingham side have failed to score in only one of nine head-to-head matches against Tottenham Hotspur since the start of 2023.
Potential Aston Villa Lineup
Emiliano Martinez – Lucas Digne, Pau Torres, Ezri Konsa, Matty Cash – Youri Tielemans, Amadou Onana – Emiliano Buendia, Morgan Rogers, John McGinn – Ollie Watkins.
Absentees: Boubacar Kamara, Alisson (both injured).
Tottenham Hotspur Form
In the penultimate round away to Brighton and Hove Albion (2:2) Tottenham Hotspur deserved a long-awaited win but conceded right at the death. A week later fate repaid the visitors – at the Molineux Stadium they defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers thanks to a late set-piece goal by Palhinha (1:0). Unfortunately for the fans of the away side, the gap to West Ham United in 17th did not shrink – West Ham United also won and the difference remained at two points.
Key Tottenham Hotspur Numbers:
- Tottenham Hotspur have the third-best attack in the bottom half of the Premier League table with 43 goals; only Leeds United (44) and Newcastle United (46) have scored more.
- Away from home Tottenham Hotspur have the second-best conversion rate in the Premier League: with 18.71 xG the London side have scored 23 goals.
- Of their 34 points this season, Tottenham Hotspur have collected 23 away – the seventh-best record in the competition.
Potential Tottenham Hotspur Lineup
Antonin Kinsky – Djed Spence, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Pedro Porro – Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur – Mathys Tel, Conor Gallagher, Randal Kolo Muani – Richarlison.
Absentees: Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, Mohammed Kudus, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Guglielmo Vicario (all injured).
