How Aston Villa Will Line Up Against Tottenham Hotspur

The stage is a clear one for Aston Villa and Tottenham as the only Premier League clash taking place on Sunday, and it is a game that will tell plenty about both sides’ ambitions this season.

After a start to the season that opened with back-to-back wins, Spurs have stuttered of late, with their strikers yet to find the target in open play in the league this season.

Spurs head to Villa Park with manager Andre Villas-Boas looking for his forwards to fire, and it is a similar story for the home side.

Villa boss Paul Lambert, though, can put forth the compelling case that he has been without his prized attacking asset for the past three games in all competitions.

Christian Benteke damaged a hip in the 1-0 win at Norwich on September 21, and he has been sorely missed by Villa, which has won just once in his absence—admittedly against Manchester City.

The international break has enabled Benteke to work on his fitness, and he is expected to get the green light to face Spurs.

Should he prove his fit, it will come as a huge boost to Villa, as he is their key attacking force—he bagged 19 goals last term—and provides an outlet for the rest of the side.

On the assumption that Benteke is ruled fit to play, he is likely to spearhead an attacking trio supported on the flanks by Andreas Weimann and Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Weimann has one league goal to his name this season, the winner against City, while Agbonlahor is yet to find the target. That does not paint the full picture, as Agbonlahor has laid on two goals this season, per premierleague.com.

At the back, Villa have been pretty solid and pretty settled. Brad Guzan is the undisputed No. 1 and is rated so highly that Lambert is ready to let Shay Given move on.

Shielding Guzan, which they did well in the 0-0 draw with Hull on their most recent Premier League outing, will be a back four consisting of Antonio Luna, Ciaran Clark, Ron Vlaar and Leandro Bacuna. The latter has wrestled the right-back jersey from Matt Lowton this season and is likely to retain it.

Given the striking struggles of both and the relative defensive solidity, this contest could well be won and lost in the middle of park.

Lambert’s preference is to field a three-man midfield, and the trio of choice lately has been Ashley Westwood, Fabian Delph and Karim El Ahmadi.

The three-man option is almost certain to remain, aided by Weimann and Agbonlahor when the two are without the ball, but it is the attacking quality of Tottenham’s midfield that could well prompt a change in personnel.

The attacking instincts of El Ahmadi could well be sacrificed in order for Yacouba Sylla to provide a defensive shield in front of the back four.

Aston Villa lineup:
Guzan; Bacuna, Vlaar, Clark, Luna; Sylla, Delph, Westwood; Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor