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Unai Emery is the Premier League manager of 2023 – he is working miracles at Aston Villa

matt law
·30 min read
Paul Torres, right, celebrates with Ollie Watkins after equalising in first-half injury time – Unai Emery is the Premier League manager of 2023: he is working miracles at Aston Villa
Paul Torres, right, celebrates with Ollie Watkins after equalising in first-half injury time - Reuters/Peter Cziborra

Those who like their calendar year awards should look no further than Unai Emery for the best manager of 2023.

Pep Guardiola may have won the Treble with Manchester City this year, but the job Emery is doing at Aston Villa is miraculous.

An Ollie Watkins goal made it 22 Premier League wins for Emery’s Aston Villa in 2023, with a month of the year still remaining. Not since 1980 have the club managed that.

This was the first time since December 2009 that Villa finished the day in the top four at least 13 games into a season, having leap-frogged the injury-ravaged Tottenham Hotspur.

The Midlands club can book their passage into the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League with a game to spare on Thursday night. The fans have rarely known it so good since that famous night in 1982 when the club won the European Cup, which they still sing about.

Unai Emery is trying to play down Aston Villa's potential despite lifting them into the top four - Unai Emery is the Premier League manager of 2023 – he is working miracles at Aston Villa
Unai Emery is trying to play down Aston Villa's potential despite lifting them into the top four - Getty Images/Chloe Knott

Emery’s team are only two points behind League leaders Arsenal, his old club, yet he still claims there are seven stronger contenders for the top four. Asked to name them, Emery said: “Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle and Chelsea.”

Chelsea are 12 points behind Villa and their £220 million midfield duo of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are currently being outperformed by Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara, who cost a combined £15 million.

Both players were excellent against Spurs, with Luiz setting up a headed equaliser from defender Pau Torres, which will only heighten Arsenal’s interest in the Brazilian midfielder.

“Douglas Luiz is playing very good, he has improved a lot,” said Emery. “We are very happy with him and want to keep him. He is happy with us. He is back in his national team and he is playing amazing. I want him.”

This was by no means a comfortable afternoon for Emery. He jumped up and down on the touchline, threw his arms all over the place, barely ever sat down, but loved every minute of it.

“It was an amazing match,” said Emery. “They created chances, we created chances. We were efficient and clinical and I enjoyed it, but I lost all my energy.”

Ollie Watkins celebrates scoring the winner for Villa after their substitutions changed the game - Unai Emery is the Premier League manager of 2023 – he is working miracles at Aston Villa
Ollie Watkins celebrates scoring the winner for Villa after Emery's substitutions changed the game - Getty Images/Nigel French

Emery was once again celebrating at the end and it was another piece of tactical brilliance from him that helped Villa inflict Tottenham’s third successive league defeat.

Villa were fortunate to still be in the game at half-time and Emery took full advantage, sending on Youri Tielemans, as one of two substitutions, to replace Moussa Diaby.

It looked like a negative move yet it was Tielemans, with a superb no-look pass, who sent Watkins through to score the winner.

Leon Bailey, Villa’s other half-time substitute, had already hit the post by then. His introduction stretched Tottenham’s makeshift defence and spared Matty Cash, who had been booked for a hack on Rodrigo Bentancur, what would have been an awkward second 45 minutes.

Emery, like most people inside Tottenham’s stadium, appeared to have been caught out by Ange Postecoglou’s line-up, but Emery’s tactical reshuffle, after Torres scored on the stroke of half-time, proved decisive.

“We were struggling on the right and, tactically, it was my correction,” said Emery. “Offensively, we weren’t attacking this side like the left. Also the yellow of Matt Cash and after the solution was with Bailey and Tielemans.”

On his incredible 2023, Emery joked that “life goes fast”, but stressed he would not be getting carried away even though he wants his players to enjoy their position in the table.

Giovanni Lo Celso, far right, celebrates with team-mates after Spurs' attacking philosophy put them ahead - Unai Emery is the Premier League manager of 2023 – he is working miracles at Aston Villa
Giovanni Lo Celso, far right, celebrates with team-mates after Spurs' attacking philosophy put them ahead - Shutterstock/NEIL HALL

Not since the days of the Ossie Ardiles ‘famous five’ have Tottenham fans seen their team sent out quite like this, yet Postecoglou’s side have now lost three successive Premier League games and slipped out of the top four.

Postecoglou was told by one of his best mates that he “had to meet Ardiles and Villa” when he took the Spurs head coach job.

He revealed over the weekend that he has already met Ardiles and Postecoglou channelled the spirit of the former Tottenham player and manager for the visit of Emery’s Villa.

Postecoglou’s ‘famous five’ were Son Heung-min, Brennan Johnson, Bryan Gil, Dejan Kulusevski and Giovani Lo Celso, who opened the scoring.

Kulusevski and Pedro Porro both struck a post, and Son had a goal disallowed. Postecoglou felt that on another day his attack, attack, attack approach would have paid dividends.

“Some of our football was as good as we’ve played all year,” said Postecoglou. “We’ve got to take the pain of the defeat, but continue down that road. We’ll get to where we want to.”

Already without half a team because of injuries and suspensions, Postecoglou had to replace Bentancur with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg following Cash’s challenge. The Australian said: “I’m not sure [how bad it is], it’s his ankle. It wasn’t a great tackle. It’s the last thing we needed, he had started so well.”

04:30 PM GMT

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou speaking to Sky Sports

“A tough outcome but I couldn’t be happier with the way the boys played. I’m really proud of them, I thought we played some fantastic football and on another day we would’ve won comfortably. I can’t fault the effort they put into the game.

“There’s no frustration. We played well and as a manager that’s all you can ask for. Sometimes the outcomes don’t go the way you want but as a manager I want the players committed to what we are trying to do and they were all totally committed.

“On another day we would’ve had a few goals but it was a combination of outstanding goalkeeping and woodwork. From my perspective all I can ask is what they gave. The players played an outstanding game of football and as a manager that’s all we can ask for.”

04:21 PM GMT

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins speaking to the BBC

“We didn’t have the best of starts, we were lucky to come in at 1-1. That goal right before half-time was a massive boost for us and it was crucial really.

“I don’t think there’s been a game where we haven’t created chances. We have a big belief in ourselves. We had plenty of opportunities to score and we came away with the three points, which is massive for us.

“The games are coming thick and fast now but when you’re on a good run, like we are, that’s what you want. I think all the lads are looking forward to it.”

04:19 PM GMT

Your comments

Remember you can have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the blog:

  • John Manahan: “Calamitous November for Spurs. 3 games - 3 defeats. Better team for the 1st hour but ran out of gas (and ideas) as 2nd half progressed. Bentancur was a huge loss. Today LoCelso, Gil and Hojbjerg in comparison to Sarr, Bissouma and Maddison...enough said.”

  • Steven Law: “Spurs suck. They will be lucky to be top six. No depth in the line up and they still choke on easy chances.”

  • David Pittman: “Same old. And so the slide begins.”

  • Mark Suffern: “Same old Spurs then, the club that somehow thought they should be in a ring fenced super league.”

  • David Anderson: “The Spurs slump after a decent start to the season is happening earlier than usual.”

  • Peter Griffin: “Well played Villa, deserved that.”

04:16 PM GMT

Success for Aston Villa

The visitors won at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 2-0 earlier this year and they take the three points away from north London once again this afternoon.

04:13 PM GMT

Three straight defeats for Tottenham

04:12 PM GMT

Watkins' winning goal

04:06 PM GMT

FT: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

That is it at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Aston Villa have come from behind to beat Tottenham 2-1 with Ollie Watkins netting the winner. Aston Villa move ahead of Tottenham and replace the home side in fourth place.

04:03 PM GMT

90+4 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

Aston Villa win the header but it goes out for a corner. Emerson meets it at the front post but Son cannot quite get on the end of it. Tottenham will have another corner though but Martinez catches Kulusevski’s delivery.

04:01 PM GMT

90+3 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

Tottenham are going to have another free-kick in a similar position to the one a few minutes ago after Torres fouls Veliz. Once again Porro will take. Can he put in a better delivery? No, the ball is headed away but Tottenham then win another free-kick moments later on the left...

03:59 PM GMT

90 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

Luiz takes down Kulusevski and Tottenham are awarded a free-kick five yards outside the Aston Villa penalty area. There will be six minutes of additional time. Porro takes the free-kick but is too heavy and misses all the Tottenham players. A wasted opportunity for Tottenham.

Unai Emery is making a double change as Watkins and McGinn are replaced by Duran and Ramsey, who is back from injury.

03:54 PM GMT

Hat-trick of offside goals for Son

Son now has a hat-trick of disallowed goals. Porro’s shot hits the post and Son slots home the rebound but he was in an offside position.

Ange Postecoglou makes a switch of Argentinians as Veliz replaces Lo Celso.

03:51 PM GMT

83 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

Tottenham have a corner on the left but it is wasted as Martinez is able to easily catch the delivery.

03:49 PM GMT

81 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

Kamara has an effort from range which is saved by Vicario. McGinn keeps it alive and dinks it to the far post where Watkins meets it. But his header from a couple of yards out misses the target. Watkins is then booked for dissent.

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins headers wide whilst under pressure from Ben Davies during the Premier League match between Tottenham and Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Ollie Watkins comes from very close to scoring his second of the game - Julian Finney/Getty Images

03:48 PM GMT

80 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

That is so poor from Johnson. He is set free down the left and is in so much space to dribble into the Aston Villa box. But he cannot find any of his teammates and the ball ends up out of play for a goal-kick to Aston Villa.

03:42 PM GMT

74 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

Kulusevski dribbles and dribbles right into the Aston Villa box but his shot is saved by Martinez.

03:41 PM GMT

73 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

Two chances in quick succession for Tottenham. Johnson has the first effort which is saved by Martinez and then Hojbjerg has a shot from distance well saved again by the Argentinian goalkeeper.

03:39 PM GMT

70 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

Digne’s free-kick looks like it might be destined for the back of the net but Vicario gets across to parry it behind for a corner. Watkins gets his head on the corner around five yards out but it goes just wide. He should have done better there and that could have been 3-1 to the away side.

Skipp has replaced Gil for Tottenham.

03:37 PM GMT

69 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

Aston Villa have a free-kick centrally not far outside the Tottenham box...

03:36 PM GMT

68 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

Tottenham have a corner on the left after Martinez’s save from a deflected Porro strike. The corner finds Davies inside the six-yard box but he heads over. How did he miss the target?

Tottenham's Ben Davies heads over from close-range
Ben Davies heads over from close-range - John Walton/PA

03:34 PM GMT

66 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

Kulusevski and Tottenham want a penalty for foul by Digne. VAR does check but Digne got the ball and it is play on.

03:30 PM GMT

GOAL! Watkins gives Villa the lead

Aston Villa were dominated in that first half but they are now ahead. Watkins plays a one-two with Tielemans, who came on at half-time, and strikes past Vicario to give the visitors the lead for the first time today.

03:28 PM GMT

60 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 1

Chance for McGinn. Vicario comes running out of his goal and heads the ball as he is outside his box. The ball falls to McGinn 35 yards out and tries lifting it into an empty net but his effort goes over the bar.

03:27 PM GMT

Son offside again

Son has a second goal ruled out for offside this afternoon. Johnson plays the ball across to Son to slot home but the Welshman was offside before the assist.

03:25 PM GMT

56 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 1

After brilliant work by McGinn in the centre of the pitch, Watkins is in a great position in the box on the left but at the crucial moment he stumbles and the chance is gone.

03:23 PM GMT

54 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 1

Tottenham now come close to retaking the lead. Kulusevski is sent free on the counter-attack down the left. He finds Son in the box and then gets it back. First time he plays it across to the far post but Johnson on the stretch cannot quite get on the end of it. Had he done so it likely would have been an easy finish.

Tottenham Hotspur's Brennan Johnson on the ground in frustration after not reaching a cross
Brennan Johnson could not quite get on the end of a Dejan Kulusevski's cross - Peter Cziborra/Reuters

03:21 PM GMT

51 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 1

Aston Villa counter and they nearly take the lead. Bailey takes the ball to the edge of the Tottenham box and cuts onto his preferred left foot. He curls one towards the far corner and Vicario is very lucky as his save comes back off the post and into his arms. His save was weak and he was lucky that it hit the post rather than ending up in the back of his own net.

Aston Villa's Leon Bailey shoots at goal
Leon Bailey's effort came back off the post - Dylan Martinez/Reuters

03:17 PM GMT

49 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 1

Tottenham have a couple of corners in quick succession and eventually Son heads over the bar. He should have done better there and hit the target.

03:16 PM GMT

48 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 1

Tottenham have a free-kick in a dangerous area on the right just outside the box. It is put into a good area by Porro but Martinez manages to punch it away.

03:14 PM GMT

46 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 1

Unai Emery made a double change at the break, with Cash and Diaby coming off for Tielemans and Bailey. Cash was on a yellow card and Diaby was fairly anonymous.

03:13 PM GMT

Second half

45 minutes remaining in north London. The game is finely poised at 1-1 at the start of this second half.

03:06 PM GMT

Aston Villa lucky?

There were some issues with VAR at the start of the game but it was operational in the first half when, by the looks of the replays, Diego Carlos was very lucky not to give away a penalty and potentially a red card for an elbow on Gil. It was easy to miss because all the attention was on the ball and whether Konsa had deliberately handled the ball. But Aston Villa can count themselves very lucky that the incident was not picked up.

02:57 PM GMT

HT: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 1

The whistle is blown and it is level at the break. Lo Celso’s deflected strike gave Tottenham the lead but Torres’ header late in the half means it is 1-1 at half-time.

02:55 PM GMT

Goal stands

VAR says Torres is onside. Tottenham should have probably put this game to bed by now with the chances they have had but it is all square.

02:54 PM GMT

GOAL! Aston Villa level through Torres

It is 1-1 seconds before the whistle. Aston Villa have a free-kick just inside Tottenham’s half on the right and Luiz sends it into a very dangerous area. Torres meets it around eight yards out and powers home the header. VAR is checking for offside...

Aston Villa's Pau Torres celebrates scoring their first goal with his teammates
Pau Torres (far right) equalises for Aston Villa just before the break - Dylan Martinez/Reuters

02:53 PM GMT

45+5 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 0

Tottenham are lucky there. A back-pass towards Vicario is a light one and he is just able to get it away before Watkins could intercept.

02:48 PM GMT

45 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 0

There are six minutes of additional time at the end of this first half. Porro is down rolling around and Tottenham are demanding a free-kick and a second yellow card for Kamara. But the replays show that Kamara got the ball and the referee made the right decision there.

02:46 PM GMT

Son offside

Son races through on goal and curls it into the back of the net past Martinez but the flag is up for offside. Replays show he was offside so an easy decision for VAR.

Son Heung-Min of Tottenham Hotspur scores the team's second goal before being disallowed for offside
Son thought he had extended Tottenham's lead but he was offside - Julian Finney/Getty Images

02:45 PM GMT

43 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 0

Aston Villa have a corner on the left but it is headed away and Tottenham are awarded a free-kick anyway for a foul.

02:43 PM GMT

40 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 0

Cash needs to be careful. He is adjudged to have fouled Udogie and is already on a yellow card. The Tottenham players and fans want a red card for Cash but that would have been harsh to give him a second yellow for that. Cash’s teammate McGinn though does go into the book for dissent.

02:40 PM GMT

38 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 0

Kamara joins his teammate Cash in the book after hacking down Lo Celso, which means he will miss Aston Villa’s next Premier League game against Bournemouth.

02:37 PM GMT

35 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 0

Kulusevski comes close to extending Tottenham’s lead. He cuts in onto his left and sends a curler towards the far post but it goes just wide.

02:33 PM GMT

31 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 0

Bentancur has tried to continue but he is down on the ground again and will have to be replaced. Hojbjerg is coming on in his place.

Tottenham Hotspur's Rodrigo Bentancur with manager Ange Postecoglou after being substituted due to injury
Rodrigo Bentancur had to go off injured, to be replaced by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - Dylan Martinez/Reuters

02:30 PM GMT

27 minutes: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 0

Cash is the first man into the book today for a foul on Bentancur. The Tottenham players want more than a yellow but a booking is a suitable punishment. Bentancur is still down, having only recently returned from a long-term knee injury.

02:28 PM GMT

No goal

After a three-minute review, VAR decides Watkins is offside and the goal does not stand.

The big screen displays a VAR review message leading to Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins' goal being disallowed
Ollie Watkins' goal was ruled out by VAR for offside - Peter Cziborra/Reuters

02:28 PM GMT

VAR check still ongoing

It looks like Watkins is slightly offside before heading in but VAR is still checking...

02:26 PM GMT

Has Watkins equalised?

Aston Villa are level just moments later or are they?

02:26 PM GMT

GOAL! Lo Celso gives Tottenham the lead

Tottenham are ahead and deserve to be. Lo Celso is on the edge of the box and a corner finds its way to him. He takes it first time and his strike deflects off Carlos’ thigh and past Martinez. If it had not taken a deflection you would think Martinez would have been able to make the save. 1-0 Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur's Giovani Lo Celso celebrates scoring their first goal
Giovani Lo Celso gives Tottenham the lead - Dylan Martinez/Reuters

02:23 PM GMT

21 minutes: Tottenham 0 Aston Villa 0

Should Son have got his head on that? Gil plays a great ball in from the left but Son cannot get his head to it. Watching the replays he probably should have and he was only five yards out.

02:20 PM GMT

18 minutes: Tottenham 0 Aston Villa 0

Tottenham waste another good opportunity. Porro is played through and tries to find Son but it is blocked and cleared away. Aston Villa’s high-line is being exposed by Tottenham but the hosts are yet to fully take advantage.

02:19 PM GMT

17 minutes: Tottenham 0 Aston Villa 0

Aston Villa are creating their own problems at the moment. They are taking huge risks at the back and taking too long on the ball. Tottenham are pressing high and reaping the rewards by winning the ball high up the pitch. But the game remains scoreless.

02:17 PM GMT

15 minutes: Tottenham 0 Aston Villa 0

Another chance but another offside for Tottenham. The ball is played through to Kulusevski one-on-one with Martinez, who saves Kulusevski’s effort. The flag does then go up.

02:16 PM GMT

13 minutes: Tottenham 0 Aston Villa 0

How has Son missed that? Porro finds him unmarked eight yards out in ample space but he blazes it over the bar off-balance. It would not have counted anyway as Porro initially was offside in the build-up to that chance.

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min misses a chance to score
Son Heung-min missed a glorious chance but the offside flag did go up - Peter Cziborra/Reuters

02:14 PM GMT

11 minutes: Tottenham 0 Aston Villa 0

Johnson fires the ball across the box in an attempt to find Son at the back post but crucially for Aston Villa it is blocked.

02:09 PM GMT

7 minutes: Tottenham 0 Aston Villa 0

Another chance for Tottenham. A clever flick from Kulusevski finds Gil in the box but his shot is saved by Martinez.

02:08 PM GMT

5 minutes: Tottenham 0 Aston Villa 0

There could have been three goals so far in this game and this time it is Aston Villa who could have scored. A free-kick is launched a long way from the left-hand side and it finds Torres at the back post. He heads it back across goal but it just goes past the post.

02:07 PM GMT

4 minutes: Tottenham 0 Aston Villa 0

How has Kulusevski not scored? He cuts onto his left foot inside the Aston Villa box and is around eight yards out. He goes for the far corner but his shot comes back off the post. That should have nestled in the back of the box.

Tottenham Hotspur's Dejan Kulusevski misses a chance to score
Dejan Kulusevski should have scored inside the first five minutes but his shot hit the post - Dylan Martinez/Reuters

02:06 PM GMT

3 minutes: Tottenham 0 Aston Villa 0

Tottenham should take the lead. Porro plays a great long ball in behind the Aston Villa defence and Udogie, up from full-back, is one-on-one. But as Martinez comes out of his goal, Udogie lifts the ball over the keeper but also over the bar and he wastes a glorious chance.

Tottenham Hotspur's Destiny Udogie shoots over the bar during the Premier League match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Destiny Udogie had a good early chance but he lifted his shot over the bar - John Walton/PA

02:03 PM GMT

1 minute: Tottenham 0 Aston Villa 0

Aston Villa are not far away from taking the lead inside 30 seconds but Tottenham manage to just clear their lines from inside their own penalty area.

02:02 PM GMT

Kick-off

We are under way at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Fourth vs fifth. Tottenham vs Aston Villa.

01:59 PM GMT

Minute applause

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium rises to pay tribute to Terry Venables, who played 115 times for Tottenham and then won the FA Cup as their manager in 1991.

01:57 PM GMT

Kick-off fast approaching

Both sides have emerged from the tunnel and we will be getting under way in around five minutes. There will be a minute’s applause before the game starts to remember Terry Venables.

01:51 PM GMT

Reminder of the team news

Tottenham: Vicario, Royal, Davies, Porro, Udogie, Bentancur, Lo Celso, Kulusevski, Johnson, Gil, Son.

Subs: Austin, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Dier, Veliz, Donley, Dorrington, Forster.

Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Carlos, Luiz, McGinn, Diaby, Kamara,Watkins.

Subs: Tielemans, Moreno, Lenglet, Duran, Bailey, Dendoncker, Ramsey, Iroegbunam, Olsen.

01:49 PM GMT

More tributes to El Tel

01:44 PM GMT

Son vital for Tottenham

He is always a vital figure for Tottenham, but especially with the number of absentees for the hosts today Son’s importance to the side is huge.

01:33 PM GMT

Ramsey back

Jacob Ramsey is back on the bench for Aston Villa this afternoon after returning from injury.

01:32 PM GMT

Aston Villa arrive

01:27 PM GMT

No Englishmen

01:24 PM GMT

Fancy a bet?

Having a bet on today’s match? First take a look at these free bets and betting offers.

01:23 PM GMT

England manager Gareth Southgate pays tribute to El Tel

“Any player will have great affinity with the manager that gave them their opportunity, but it was quickly evident playing for Terry Venables that he was an outstanding coach and manager.

“Tactically excellent, he had a wonderful manner, capable of handling everyone from the youngest player to the biggest star. He was open minded, forward thinking, enjoyed life to the full and created a brilliant environment with England that allowed his players to flourish and have one of the most memorable tournaments in England history.

“A brilliant man, who made people feel special, I’m very sad to hear of his passing and my thoughts are with Yvette and all of his family.”

01:16 PM GMT

No recognised centre-back in Tottenham starting XI

Ange Postecoglou has reacted to Tottenham’s centre-back crisis by dropping his only available natural centre-back.

Eric Dier starts on the bench. With right-back Emerson Royal partnering left-back Ben Davis in the centre of defence.

And in true Ange-style, the absence of Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr has resulted in neither Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg or Oliver Kipp starting.

Instead, Ange has gone full attack with Bryan Gil starting along with Giovani Lo Celso, Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and Heung-Min Son.

01:14 PM GMT

Full team news

Tottenham have made four changes to the side which lost 2-1 at Wolves before the international break.

Destiny Udogie returns after injury and suspension, while Rodrigo Bentancur, Bryan Gil and Giovani lo Celso also come in. Yves Bissouma is suspended and Pape Matar Sarr has a minor injury.

Tottenham XI: Vicario, Royal, Davies, Porro, Udogie, Bentancur, Lo Celso, Kulusevski, Johnson, Gil, Son.

Subs: Austin, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Dier, Veliz, Donley, Dorrington, Forster.

Aston Villa have made just the one change to the side which won 3-1 at home to Fulham, with Diego Carlos replacing Youri Tielemans.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Carlos, Luiz, McGinn, Diaby, Kamara,Watkins.

Subs: Tielemans, Moreno, Lenglet, Duran, Bailey, Dendoncker, Ramsey, Iroegbunam, Olsen.

01:09 PM GMT

More tributes

01:07 PM GMT

Tottenham players arriving

01:01 PM GMT

Aston Villa team news

01:01 PM GMT

Tottenham team news

12:59 PM GMT

Tributes pouring in for El Tel

12:54 PM GMT

Venables dies aged 80

Football has been shocked by the news in the last hour that Terry Venables has died aged 80. El Tel played 115 times for today’s hosts Tottenham and then went on to manage them for four years between 1987 and 1991, winning the FA Cup. It is sure to be an emotional afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. You can read more about Venables’ life here.

12:37 PM GMT

Postecoglou sticking to his guns

It is fourth vs fifth in north London this afternoon as Tottenham take on Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Aston Villa can jump ahead of the hosts with a victory today whilst Tottenham with a win can move level on points with second-placed Manchester City, who drew 1-1 with third-placed Liverpool yesterday.

Tottenham suffered back-to-back defeats against Chelsea and Wolves before the international break. However Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is backing his style of play, not matter what the results are.

“The last two results haven’t been great but I guess my point is, as I’ve said all along, we’re at the beginning of trying to build something.

“It’s always important wherever I’ve been that in the early stages, you stay really focused on that and the kind of football we want to play and not allow short-term results, good or bad, to influence how you’re going.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou reacts at Molineux
Ange Postecoglou is backing his philosophy, not matter what the result is - Carl Recine/Reuters

“People will always question and scrutinise our approach, I understand that. It’s not really about me to try and convince people about what we’re going to do, it’s more about internally, making sure the players and staff, stay on course.”

Tottenham will have defender Destiny Udogie back available after injury and suspension but will be without the suspended duo of Cristian Romero and Yves Bissouma. They are also without James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, who are likely to be out until the New Year.

With the likes of Maddison and van de Ven sidelined, Postecoglou has urged other players to take advantage of this opportunity.

“The back four is the major issue for us at the moment. We’re really low on depth there, midfield as well. That’s just the period we’re going through at the moment.

“We’ve got a lot of absences, our numbers are down, but it’s also a time when other guys get an opportunity.

“In this early phase, it’s about trying to expose as many people as we can to see how we cope playing our football under stress when there are changes and against different types of opposition.”

Meanwhile Aston Villa went into the break with a 3-1 home victory over Fulham. Last season Aston Villa did the double over Tottenham; a 2-1 home win back in May and a 2-0 away win on this ground on New Year’s Day.

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