Tottenham vs Aston Villa: Both Sides Winless and Desperate for First Victory

Tottenham host Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday in a Premier League clash between the past two Europa League winners, both sitting in the bottom four and still searching for their first league win of the season.

  • Fixture: Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa, Premier League
  • Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
  • Date: Saturday
  • Key team news: Nicolas Jackson will start for Villa; Matty Cash available; Pau Torres and Ian Maatsen out
  • What's at stake: Both sides are winless after four games, with Villa on one point and Spurs still seeking their first goal

Injury and Availability

Aston Villa will be without defenders Pau Torres and Ian Maatsen, who are both ruled out through injury. Matty Cash is available again after recovering from a muscle problem and could feature at right-back.

Tottenham have no reported injuries in the source article, but they remain without a Premier League goal this season and have failed to score in four successive league matches.

Team News and Line-up News

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery is close to settling on his preferred line-up. Nicolas Jackson, signed from Chelsea in August, will start on Saturday after coming off the bench in the Carabao Cup win at Coventry in midweek.

Villa captain John McGinn and defender Tyrone Mings both played at Coventry rather than being rested, and Emery is relying on the experienced pair to guide the squad through a difficult patch. New signings Johan Manzambi, brought in from Freiburg, and £47m winger Ibrahim Mbaye, who joined from Paris St-Germain, made their debuts last weekend as substitutes against Nottingham Forest and are set to form part of a new attack.

Tottenham added 10 players for more than £300m over the summer but have struggled for results over the past two years, with goodwill in short supply. They have scored no goals in their opening four league games and their goalless draw with Everton was their first at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League after 140 matches.

The Numbers

  • Both clubs have spent more than half a billion pounds between them, for just three points and one goal.
  • Villa have the lowest xG in the Premier League this season (3.39), with Spurs second-lowest (3.45).
  • Bottom club Coventry, who are pointless and goalless, have an xG of 4.21.
  • Villa have had the fewest shots in the top flight (33), while Tottenham have managed 51.
  • Villa have just six shots on target, the worst in the league; Spurs are next with 12.
  • Only Hull have had fewer touches in the box (47) than Villa's 62.
  • Villa players have made 32 crosses, the lowest in the league and half as many as Tottenham.
  • Tottenham have the highest successful pass completion rate in the Premier League (81.4%) and only Manchester United, Arsenal, Brighton and Liverpool have made more passes in the final third.
  • It has been 407 minutes since Spurs last scored in the Premier League.
  • None of the past 22 Premier League meetings between the sides have ended in a draw — Spurs have won 15, Villa seven.

What Was Said

"This break is crazy because it's three weeks. I don't like to be three weeks but we must accept it."

— Unai Emery, Aston Villa head coach, on the upcoming international break

"We are not going to have the players we want. [Johan] Manzambi played the first two matches with us and Saturday the third and then he goes with the national team."

— Unai Emery, on losing new signings to international duty

"Back with us, we must again try to join him with us in our structure and his mind will maybe be confused. We don't want to use the international break as an excuse."

— Unai Emery, on the challenge of integrating new players after the break

"Saturday is very important as we lack points but we continue in our process trying to work as well as possible."

— Unai Emery, on the importance of the Tottenham match

Emery's comments reveal a manager balancing short-term pressure with a long-term rebuild. He remains calm behind the scenes and has credit in the bank after turning Villa from mid-table floundering into Europa League winners and Champions League qualifiers, but this season the remit is to be successful while integrating 10 new players following six key sales. He has previously described learning his methods as doing "a lot of homework", which may explain why new signings like Aaron Wan-Bissaka have struggled in their opening three games as they adapt. The three-week break after Saturday will not provide the training ground time Emery craves, as many players depart on international duty.

Analysis: Villa's New-Look Attack Must Click Against a Fragile Spurs

Nicolas Jackson starting gives Villa a focal point they have lacked. His willingness to run in behind could exploit a Spurs defence that has kept clean sheets but offers little going forward. With Ibrahim Mbaye and Johan Manzambi set to feature in a new attack, Emery is betting on fresh legs to end Villa's goal drought.

Spurs, meanwhile, have plenty of the ball but no end product. Their 81.4% pass completion and 617 passes in the final third suggest dominance without penetration. The return of Matty Cash at right-back gives Villa more defensive stability, but the absence of Pau Torres and Ian Maatsen is a concern against a Spurs side that will push full-backs high.

The historical record points away from a draw. With 22 consecutive meetings producing a winner, both sides will likely take risks. Villa's low xG and shot count are alarming, but Spurs' inability to score in 407 minutes is equally damning. This could be decided by a moment of individual quality — or a defensive error.

Talking Points

  • Should Unai Emery persist with his 10 new signings or revert to a more experienced core to grind out a result? The pressure to win now is immense.
  • Is Nicolas Jackson the answer to Villa's goalscoring problems, or does his starting berth highlight a lack of alternatives?
  • How much longer can Spurs' hierarchy tolerate a winless start and a goal drought, given the £300m+ investment?
  • With no draws in the last 22 meetings, will both managers adopt a cautious approach or go for the win?

What Happens Next

After Saturday's match, the Premier League pauses for a three-week international break. Aston Villa will hope to use that period, despite losing players to national teams, to further integrate their new signings before a crucial run of fixtures. Tottenham, meanwhile, face mounting pressure to kickstart their season when domestic action resumes, with the club's recent struggles adding urgency to the coming weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Nicolas Jackson starting for Aston Villa vs Tottenham?

Yes, Nicolas Jackson will start for Aston Villa on Saturday after coming off the bench in the midweek Carabao Cup win at Coventry.

Who is injured for Aston Villa vs Tottenham?

Pau Torres and Ian Maatsen are out for Aston Villa. Matty Cash is available after recovering from a muscle problem.

When is Tottenham vs Aston Villa?

The match takes place on Saturday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League.

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