Aston Villa will take on Tottenham Hotspur this weekend in their first game of the Premier League after being away from the top flight for the last three seasons. Their transfer spending has made them the second-highest spenders in the Premier League this season and only time will tell whether they will follow the suit of Wolves or like Fulham from last season.
One thing that cannot be doubted though is that the club is showing ambition and it is clear that Villa are not just looking to survive this season. Tottenham away is probably one of the toughest fixtures to begin with, but often you would want to play the heavyweights early on in the season as they too would be looking to find some rhythm. It would be interesting to see how all the new players have gelled up in such a short time.
Team News: Jed Steer, Anwar El Ghazi and Ezri Konsa are doubtful for the Villans. But their situation isn’t too bad, so they could probably still make the squad. A fair share of competitive debuts is likely to be made from Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Saturday.
Aston Villa Predicted Lineup Vs Tottenham
Formation (4-3-3)
Defence
New signing Tom Heaton should be the no. 1 in goal as he is an experienced candidate. Tyrone Mings proved his worth in the Championship last season, and he was signed permanently for big money. He should start in central defence. Björn Engels is likely to partner him in defence going by the way he has played in pre-season.
Former Southampton man Matt Targett is expected to occupy the left-back spot. French defender Frédéric Guilbert will be expected to play in the right-back role.
Midfield
Conor Hourihane could start in a deep role in midfield. He will have to be at his best against last season’s Champions League runners up. Fan favourite John McGinn should start in a slightly advanced role in the middle. Again, the Scotsman will also have to do a lot of nitty-gritty job in midfield. Jack Grealish will look to be the creator in midfield, and that should complete the midfield three.
Attack
With El Ghazi being a doubt, Trezeguet can start on the left flank. Another new signing Jota is expected to start from the right. Big money signing Wesley Moraes should occupy the central role as a striker. Its a completely new front three and they are unlikely to get many chances given the way Tottenham hog possession. The front three will need to be at their clinical best.
