Tottenham Hotspur look to bounce back from their midweek defeat in the Europa League as they travel to Aston Villa on Sunday. Spurs had a week to forget as a UEL loss to Dinamo Zagreb, a side in a league ranked 19th in the world, has knocked them out of the competition.
With the pressure potentially rising on Jose Mourinho, he will want to get a positive result against Villa, and which will not be easy. The visitors have the talent to get a road win here, but they will have to be properly motivated. (For the Spurs starting XI prediction go here)
The big injury news is what has happened to Heung-min Son. He had to be subbed off against Arsenal and he will definitely miss this game. Specified only as a muscular issue, this is a big blow as the forward has been one of the league’s best players this season.
Another player who will certainly be missing out is the suspended Erik Lamela. He is serving a one match ban for the red card he got against the Gunners. This makes the selection process a little bit harder for Mourinho.
It would be a good idea to give some of his players a rest as the Europa League match went to extra time. Bringing in some fresh faces will certainly help the chances of a side that really needs a win in this game.
The last two games have been really disappointing for Spurs, and they desperately need to focus on trying to turn it around on Sunday.
Villa are a surprisingly strong team this season, so they cannot be taken lightly.
Mourinho will be expecting the senior members of his squad to take the initiative and get the goals and with that the win.
That would mean someone like Gareth Bale will have to show what he is truly made of. Tottenham still do have a cup final to look forward to and they also have a few games left in the league season. They really should be motivated to make a strong finish to the season. Winning at Villa Park will not be easy, but it is still possible.