TheSportsCampus

A cracking match awaits us this Saturday as Tottenham Hotspur travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa, with both teams part of a triumvirate of clubs (alongwith Manchester City) hoping to break into the top four this season at the expense of an out of sorts Liverpool. Spurs are currently the team to catch in that race, and even have the opportunity to leap above their North London rivals Arsenal, at least till Sunday evening when Arsenal face fellow title rivals Chelsea in another classic encounter.

Spurs come into this game on the back of a 9-1 drubbing of Wigan are looking more and more like a side capable of winning something this season. Harry Redknapp has turned this Spurs team on its head since he took over. From relegation trouble to challenging for top honors, this team surely has come a long way. Spurs have one of the best squads in the Premiership with a plethora of talent at their disposal and with almost 2 players available for each position which makes them a side to envy. With Lennon, Defoe, Keane and unsung hero Palacios all in good form, Tottenham make for a formidable side and a tough opponent. Former Portsmouth playmaker Niko Kranjcar also seems to be in good nick and grabbed a goal in the 9-1 rout of Wigan along with former team mate Crouch who seems to enjoy playing with Defoe. The addition of talented centre back Sebastien Bassong has added much needed steel to this side and made them a stronger defensive unit. A few eyebrows were raised when Redknapp went shopping for sign all his ex-Pompey stars, but the way Spurs have played so far shows that Good Ol' Harry has got it right. Redknapp is currently 3rd on the list of all-time Spurs managers with a win ratio of 53.45% in the 58 games he has been in charge.

The Villans flattered to deceive last season when they lost the final Champions League spot to Arsenal in the second half of the season after a poor run of form. This led to their long serving captain Gareth Barry's departure for greener pastures - joining the Eastland's revolution only to get embroiled in the race to break into the top four albeit with a different outfit. Aston Villa rebuilt their defence for the second consecutive season this summer, replacing the likes of Martin Laursen and Zat Knight with Richard Dunne and James Collins, who are powerful in both boxes and more than capable of scoring a few goals. However the key to Villa's fortune is the form of their exceptionally talented young trio of Ashley Young, James Milner and Gabriel Agbonlahor form an excellent attacking triumvirate capable of demolishing any defense on their day. The three quick attack minded players are well supported by the commanding powerhouses John Carew and Emile Heskey in what is surely a side built to score goals. The Villans have also been handed a boost by the return from injury of former Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing, however he would need to really play out of his skin to earn a place ahead of Milner and Young in the wide positions.

Villa manager Martin O'Neill has been on the wanted list for many bigger clubs and his name continues to pop up at Merseyside as a possible replacement for Rafael Benitez. He has had an excellent reputation for building teams and instilling discipline. His records at Leicester City and Celtic and his showing at Villa so far are all testimony to why he is rated so highly. Alongwith Redknapp, O'Neill is one of the top home bred managers in the Premiership and this contest will certainly be as much a battle of wits between the two as it will be fought out on the pitch.

Spurs come into this game in far better form of the two, winning three and losing two of their last five games, while Villa have won twice, drawn twice and lost once. Head-to-head there is nothing to choose between the two sides with both winning two each in the last 6 matches and with 2 draws being played out. It certainly is an even battle and a good contest to watch. It remains to be seen whether Villa are really up for the challenge or if they are going to fade away as pretenders, just like last season. They have already picked up two big scalps this season by defeating Liverpool and Chelsea, and are likely to be really up for this game.

Form Guide: Aston Villa (Last 5 games: W-2, L-1, D-2)

Sunderland 0 - 0 Aston Villa (Villa won on penalties)
Everton 1 - 1 Aston Villa
West Ham United 2 - 1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 5 - 1 Bolton Wanderers
Burnley 1 - 1 Aston Villa

Form Guide: Tottenham (Last 5 games: W-3, L-2, D-0)

Likely Teams:

Aston Villa: Friedel, Young, Dunne, Cuellar, Warnock, Milner, Petrov, Sidwell, Young, Agbonlahor, Heskey

Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Bassong, Woodgate, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Huddlestone, Palacios, Kranjcar, Keane, Defoe

Players to Watch

Aston Villa:

Ashley Young: He has been Mr. Ever-present for Aston Villa and has delivered the goods consistently
James Milner: An in-form Milner has really come of age and has been the player of the season for Villa so far
Richard Dunne: New Boy Dunne has marshaled the Villan defense extremely well and he will be crucial in keeping Defoe at bay

Tottenham Hotspur:

Aaron Lennon: Along with compatriots Milner and Young, he is really turning into a superstar for England
Jermaine Defoe: Fresh after a 5 goal haul against Wigan he will look to get onto the score sheet again
Vedran Corluka and Assou-Ekotto: Their form will be key in this game if Spurs have to keep Young and Milner quiet in the wide positions

Prediction: Villa 2 (Agbonlahor, Dunne) - 2 Spurs (Defoe, Keane)

File Photo Copyright: Dagur Brynjolfsson

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