Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur Predictions

• Both of these sides have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five fixtures
• Aston Villa have won 11 of their last 15 home matches but have lost three of their last four at Villa Park
• Spurs have drawn three of their last five away games
• Ollie Watkins has scored five goals in his last three Premier League appearances

Champions League chase beginning to heat up

The top-four race in the Premier League is beginning to reach boiling point, with a six-pointer at Villa Park on Sunday set to have a big say in the final placings.

A win for fourth-placed Aston Villa would see them open up an eight-point gap over fifth-placed Spurs, while the visitors will be hoping to take all three points in order to cut the deficit to just two.

The hosts will be feeling confident after winning the reverse fixture in north London 2-1, although they were somewhat lucky that day, losing the shot count 18-15, and they are coming into this game off the back of a tight Europa Conference League tie in Amsterdam on Thursday.

Dutch draw could cost Villans on Sunday

They were held to a 0-0 draw by Ajax in that chess-like clash which saw just eight total shots. But the Villans worked hard throughout – as Unai Emery’s sides usually do – and could show signs of fatigue against Spurs, which may ultimately cost them the win on Sunday.

Villa have been exceptional at home this season, winning 11 of their last 15 matches at Villa Park, but they have lost three of the last four on their own patch, suggesting the door may be left open for Tottenham to grab a point.

Spurs have recently taken a point at both Manchester clubs – highlighting how Ange Postecoglou’s attack-minded tactics can lead to positive results against strong sides – in a run that has seen them draw three of their last five away games.

Villa have beaten both Arsenal and Manchester City at home this season though, so a win may be just out of reach of the Lilywhites, with the spoils likely to be shared at Villa Park.

Spurs to secure important point

Tottenham showed their mettle when fighting back from 1-0 down to score three late goals and secure a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace last Saturday, and they will need that level of desire to get a result in Aston.

However, plenty of their key players, such as Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison, are back and fit – with the January signing of Timo Werner also working out nicely for the Lilywhites – and they should have enough to breach Villa on Sunday.

The hosts will not be too worried though as Ollie Watkins is in the form of his life, netting 16 Premier League goals this term and five in his last three league appearances.

With so many in-form stars in both camps and just one place and five points between the pair in the table, an exciting but cagey affair should be expected at Villa Park, with a draw looking likely as the race for fourth remains in the balance.