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Both sides have been witness to big wins of late, and both harbour
ambitions of sneaking a Champions League place at the expense of
floundering Liverpool.
Martin O'Neill will want to get his Villans side back to winning
ways as soon as possible, after only just securing a point against
Owen Coyle's Burnley recently, while Tottenham Hotspur coach Harry
Redknapp will be hoping to continue their hot goal-scoring
run.
Jermain Defoe, in particular, has won plaudits for equalling a
Premier League best of five goals in a single game, but the player
himself wants to be the top striker throughout the busy Christmas
period that could have a direct say on the club's final league
standing at the end of the season.
For Spurs, this is the first of a three-game run that pits them
against all the other clubs vying for a European spot, aside from
Liverpool. Everton and Manchester City also loom on the
horizon.
FORM GUIDE
Aston Villa
Burnley 1-1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 5-1 Bolton Wanderers
West Ham 2-1 Aston Villa
Everton 1-1 Aston Villa
Sunderland 0-0 Aston Villa
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham 9-1 Wigan
Tottenham 2-0 Sunderland
Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham
Tottenham 2-0 Everton
Tottenham 0-1 Stoke
TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa
Martin O'Neill has two absentees from his defensive department as
James Collins and Curtis Davies are both struggling for
fitness.
The former has a groin strain and is a doubt for Saturday's tie,
while the latter is a certainty to be omitted due to his dislocated
shoulder.
Last starting XI (Burnley 4-4-2): Friedel, Young, Cuellar, Dunne,
Warnock, Milner, Sidwell, Petrov, Young, Carew,
Agbonlahor.
Tottenham Hotspur
Long-term injuries to Carlo Cudicini (broken wrist) and Luka Modric
(broken leg) prevent their contribution to the Spurs line-up.
Centre-back Ledley King, though, could be available.
Last starting XI (Wigan Athletic 4-4-2): Gomes, Corluka,
Dawson, Woodgate, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Huddlestone, Palacios,
Kranjcar, Defoe, Crouch.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Aston Villa
Should Spurs be as on-song and relentless as they were in their
last Premier League outing, then Martin O'Neill will want his
full-backs to stay tight to the Tottenham wingers to prevent the
delivery that destroyed Wigan Athletic. Stephen
Warnock has been noted for his solid, reliable, yet
unspectacular displays as a Villan.
Tottenham Hotspur
Harry Redknapp has called on Jermain Defoe to
prove to the country that he is a 20 plus goals a season striker.
He already has 11, five of them scored last weekend, but can he add
to that haul on Saturday?
PREDICTION
Aston Villa 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur