Tottenham welcome Aston Villa to White Hart Lane on Monday evening keen to stretch their impressive unbeaten record to eight Premier League games.
Harry Redknapp’s side have won seven and drawn one since being thrashed by both Manchester clubs in their opening two games of the season and have soared up the table sitting just outside the top four. Spurs resisted the temptation to spend heavily in the summer and it’s worked a charm with a majority of last season’s squad being given further opportunity to gel with free transfer Brad Friedel, on-loan Emmanuel Adebayor and Scott Parker the only new faces coming into the club. The trio have turned out to be superb acquisitions with the American keeper providing a much more stable presence in goal that has calmed a usually erratic back four whilst Parker has added some grit into the midfield to compliment the talents Luka Modric. Adebayor has also proved to be a good bit of business and his link up with Rafael Van Der Vaart in attack has given Spurs an extra dimension in the final third. The Dutchman has forged a superb partnership with the Togo striker scoring six goals in his last seven games and picking up where he left off last season. Credit must go to Redknapp for keeping the ship steady after Modric threatened to destabilise the clubs season after setting his heart on a move to Chelsea. It didn’t transpire and the Croatian has knuckled down and shown why Spurs were so eager to hold onto him with some virtuoso performances in the centre of midfield. Gareth Bale, Kyle Walker and Aaron Lennon, when he’s played, have all been in terrific form and played important roles in the 3-1 win at Fulham before the international break. Spurs were shorn of Redknapp’s presence in the dugout for that one and it’s likely he will be absent again after undergoing heart surgery a fortnight ago.
That could count in Villa’s favour with Alex McLeish looking to guide his team to back-t0-back league wins for the first time this season. Their 3-2 victory over Norwich before the international break was their first in three games and only their second in nine since beating Blackburn in August. It’s been a tough start to life at Villa Park for McLeish after his appointment drew disdain from the stands but he has slowly started to win the supporters over after his side began the season well. An enormous about credit should go to the Scot for picking up the pieces of Gerard Houllier’s disastrous spell in charge with Villa now operating with a better structure and appear harder to beat. Richard Dunne and James Collins have once again forged a solid partnership at the back whilst the signing of veteran keeper Shay Given has been a masterstroke. One of the biggest plus points of McLeish’s reign thus far has been the form of Gabriel Agobonlahor with his eye catching performances earning him an England call up. The forward has been deployed out wide for much of the season with his raw pace giving him the edge over a majority of defenders in the league. However he is also scoring and creating goals and he was the difference a fortnight ago against the Canaries scoring one and making two others to guide the Villans to victory. One major concern is their form on the road and they are yet to pick up a win on their travels. With Agbonlahor likely to miss out on the trip to North London McLeish better have a plan B lodged up his sleeve if Villa are to go back to the Midlands with something.
Tottenham – 5th
Last Five
Won 3-1 v Fulham (A), Lost 1-0 v Rubin Kazan (A), Won 3-1 v QPR (H), Won 2-1 v Blackburn (A), Won 1-0 v Rubin Kazan (H)
Potential Starting X11
24. B. Friedel 28. K. Walker 26. L. King [C] 4. Y. Kaboul 32. B. Assou Ekotto 7. A. Lennon 14. L. Modric 8. S. Parker 3. G. Bale* 18. J. Defoe 10. E. Adebayor
Injury News
Spurs could be without Van Der Vaart for Monday nights game after he sustained a hamstring injury and he has a 50-50 chance of being involved at White Hart Lane. Otherwise there are no fresh injury concerns with Michael Dawson, William Gallas and Tom Huddlestone all long-term absentees.
Key Player
Gareth Bale – It’s been another exciting campaign from the Welsh winger with his lung bursting sprints up the left giving Spurs something most teams don’t have on the flanks. Bale has stepped it up a notch this season driving at defences and using his poise and close control to make it difficult for full backs to take the ball off him without fouling or allowing him to wriggle past.
Match Fact
Spurs did the double over Aston Villa last season and have a strong home record against the Midlanders losing only once in the last 11 meetings at White Hart Lane.
Aston Villa – 8th
Last Five
Won 3-2 v Norwich (H), Drew 2-2 v Sunderland (A), Lost 2-1 v West Brom (H), Lost 4-1 v Manchester City (A), Won 2-0 v Wigan (H)
Potential Starting X11
1. S. Given 2. A. Hutton 5. R. Dunne 6. J. Collins 3. S. Warnock 10. C. N’Zogbia 19. S. Petrov* 31. C. Herd 12. M. Albrighton 18. E. Heskey 9. D. Bent*
Injury News
Villa will be without Agbonlahor for their trip to the capital with the striker picking up a hamstring injury on England duty that has ruled him out for a couple of weeks.
Key Player
Darren Bent – Goals have flowed for the former Spurs striker since he departed White Hart Lane two years ago to join Sunderland before moving to Villa in January. He’s found the net 14 times in 2011 for the Villans and will be desperate to score the goals to down his former club on Monday. His predatory instincts and sharp movement in the penalty area will be down to the wingers to provide him with some quality service.
Match Fact
Villa last beat Spurs away from home on in September 2008 with goals from Ashley Young and Nigel Reo Coker giving them a surprise 2-1 at White Hart Lane. The scorer for the hosts that day – Darren Bent.
Last Time at White Hart Lane
Premier League 2nd October 2010
Tottenham 2-1 Aston Villa
van der Vaart, 45, 75
Albrighton, 16
Attendance: 35,871
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
PREDICTION
Tottenham have been in blistering form of late and their squad looks a lot stronger than it did last season. The addition of Adebayor and Parker to the side has given them some extra bit and strength in midfield and attack whilst Walker has come back into the fold after spending last season on-loan at Villa. McLeish’s side have started the season well and they certainly look harder to break down but beating Spurs in their own backyard may just be a step too far. It will be interesting to see how the home side cope without Redknapp in the dugout and Van Der Vaart in the hole. Repeats of the 4-4 thriller from a few years ago shouldn’t be expected but there is no doubt that with the attacking talent on show there will be a fair few goals.
Score: 3-1
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