TheSportsCampus

< Prev		Next >

White Hart Lane will be the stage for the mouth-watering clash between fourth-placed Tottenham and seventh-placed Villa this Saturday. The Spurs will be keen to maintain their position in the League table to ensure Champions League qualification next season, while Aston Villa will be desperate to break into the top-four. The fight for fourth-place is a keenly contested one with just two points separating Tottenham and Villa, with Liverpool and Manchester City sandwiched in between.

Martin O'Neill will be buoyed by his team's performance against Fulham last Saturday, a game which in-form striker Gabriel Agbonlahor killed off with two goals late in the first-half. That result brought to an end a dry spell for Villa in the League, who had failed to find the back of the net since mid-December. Their last two League fixtures, against Arsenal and West Ham, both resulted in draws, while the two games prior to that were lost, albeit to ‘Big Four' opponents, Liverpool and once again Arsenal. Villa though have enjoyed plenty of success in the Cup competitions, reaching the final of the Carling Cup and the fifth round of the FA Cup. They next play host to mighty Manchester United in mid-week, a fixture in which the die is heavily loaded against them, so a victory at White Hart Lane will be vital if they are to be taken seriously as contenders for fourth-place.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are enjoying one of their best seasons in recent times. However, the first month of the New Year did not go particularly well for them as they managed to win just one out of four Premier League matches. Fulham was the victim again, and the score line was also the same, i.e., 2-0. They drew against Hull City and Birmingham, who have surpassed everyone's expectations this season, and were beaten at the hands of Liverpool. Like the Villans, their FA Cup campaign is on track and they have progressed to the fifth round. They did do it the hard way though, needing a midweek trip to Leeds for a fourth round replay. Spurs won that game 3-1, a result that will boost the morale of Harry Redknapp's side ahead of Saturday's key fixture.

The last time these two sides met in the Premier League was on the 28th of November, a match that ended in a 1-1 draw, on a near frozen pitch. Conditions very abysmal on that occasion, and one can both sides to exhibit their attacking flair in plenty this weekend.

On the injury front, Redknapp will rue the absence of his pacey winger, Aaron Lennon, who is out with a groin strain, while Jonathan Woodgate and Carlo Cudicini are on the long-term injury list. Benoit Assou-Ekotto is slated to make a return from injury on Saturday, though Rednkapp may well choose to go with the impressive Gareth Bale in the left-back position. Ledley King and Michael Dawson would expect to start in central defence while Vedran Corluka will complete the backline at right-back. Spurs have added to their growing talent roster in the winter with the purchase of former French under-21 international Younes Kaboul, however, it remains to be seen if Redknapp has brought Kaboul in for defensive cover, or if he really plans on playing him this season.

In midfield, Redknapp will rely on the Honduran powerhouse, Wilson Palacios, to act as an enforcer while the even bigger Tom Huddlestone will be the central playmaker. Luka Modric and David Bentley should keep their place on the flanks,  with the latter particularly impressive in his last few outings. Modric's importance to this team cannot be overstated, and the Croatian wizard's return from injury has given Tottenham's performances on the pitch a whole new complexion. Further up the field, the English duo of Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe are favourites to start. Crouch has found his scoring boots this season, much to the delight of Tottenham fans, while Defoe is currently one of the deadliest strikers in the Premier League. He is joined by Didier Drogba as the League's second highest scorer with his tally of 15 goals so far. Roman Pavlyuchenko and Eidur Gudjohnsen will provide Redknapp with some excellent options on the bench.

Martin O'Neill is facing a few injury problems of his own. Full-back Stephen Warnock, who was supposed to make a return on Saturday, is now ruled out. Nigel Reo-Coker is set for a long spell on the sidelines, while Stiliyan Petrov, who has reportedly picked up an Achilles injury, will be ‘monitored' to deem his suitability for Saturday's fixture. John Carew is expected to shake off a knee injury in time for the match.

Luke Young may have to slot in at left-back in the absence of Warnock, while Cuellar will be likely to feature at right-back, with Richard Dunne and James Collins playing in central defence. Dunne's commitment, work-rate and leadership qualities have been integral to his team's success this season, and he will be called upon to hold off the likes of Crouch and Defoe.

If Petrov is fit, he will start alongside James Milner in central midfield, while Ashley Young and Stewart Downing can be expected to feature on the wings. They both possess great skill and pace and can be guaranteed to give the Spurs' full-backs a very hard time. Gabriel Agbonlahor and Emile Heskey should be the starting forwards, with Carew available to make an appearance later on. Agbonlahor is in scorching form right now and just can't seem to stop scoring. His blistering pace makes him a nightmare for defenders to deal with, and he will undoubtedly be Villa's most threatening player. Heskey has been fairly quiet in recent times, but his strength and aerial ability will round off a perfectly balanced strike partnership.

The presence of so much English talent on display should entice Fabio Capello to skip a trip to Merseyside in favour of London, and with four English strikers competing for a place in the World Cup squad, there is plenty at stake at in an individual capacity too on Saturday.

Form Guide

Tottenham Hotspur: (W-2, D-2, L-1)
3/2/2010 - Leeds Utd 1-3 Tottenham (FA Cup) - Win
30/1/2010 - Birmingham 1-1 Tottenham (EPL) - Draw
26/1/2010 - Tottenham 2-0 Fulham (EPL) - Win
23/1/2010 - Tottenham 2-2 Leeds Utd (FA Cup) - Draw
20/1/12010 - Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham (EPL) - Loss

Aston Villa: (W-3, D-2, L-0) 
30/1/2010 - Fulham 0-2 Aston Villa (EPL) - Win
27/1/2010 - Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal (EPL) - Draw
23/1/2010 - Aston Villa 3-2 Brighton (FA Cup) - Win
17/1/2010 - Aston Villa 0-0 West Ham (EPL) - Draw
2/1/2010 - Aston Villa 3-1 Blackburn (FA Cup) - Win

Key Players

Tottenham Hotspur:
Jermaine Defoe - The lethal striker will be looking to extend his tally, and in the kind of form he is in, one would not bet against him.
Luka Modric - His incredible skill and technical abilities are unmatched by any player in the Villa side, and he will be sure to use them to devastating effect.

Aston Villa:
Richard Dunne - He will be entrusted with the unenviable task of containing Crouch and Defoe, but on his day, he is well capable of it.
Gabriel Agbonlahor - One can expect him to threaten the Tottenham goal with his pace and direct style of play. His performances this season should earn him a place in England's World Cup squad.

Expected Teams

Tottenham Hotspur: Gomes, Bale, King, Dawson, Corluka, Modric, Palacios, Huddlestone, Bentley, Crouch, Defoe.
Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, L. Young, Downing, Petrov, Milner, A. Young, Heskey, Agbonlahor.

Prediction

It doesn't get much harder than this. Though Tottenham have home ground advantage and are the higher placed team at the moment, both sides are very evenly matched and are two of the best clubs outside of the ‘Big Four' in the Premier League. A draw is the most likely outcome.

Predicted Score: Tottenham 2-2 Aston Villa

File Photograph Copyright: Barry Zee