Tottenham have finally secured their first win under Roberto De Zerbi, defeating Wolves 1–0 in their last outing. However, that victory came at a cost: both Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons picked up injuries, with the latter suffering an ACL tear that will also rule him out of the World Cup. Aston Villa, meanwhile just lost their first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest. Below is a full match preview featuring tactical analysis, predicted lineups, team news, injuries, and an Aston Villa vs Tottenham prediction.
Aston Villa vs Tottenham Match Details
- Competition: Premier League
- Round: 35
- Date: Sunday, May 3, 2026
- Venue: Villa Park (Birmingham)
- Kickoff Time: 7:00pm (BST)
Aston Villa Team News
Aston Villa currently sit 5th in the Premier League table, eight points clear of Brighton in 6th. Villa are coming off the back of a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in midweek in the UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg after Lucas Digne gave away a penalty via a handball inside the area.
Given the importance of that European fixture and the upcoming second leg, Unai Emery will likely opt to rotate his squad against Spurs, potentially introducing several secondary options into the starting XI.
On the injury front, Amadou Onana made his return against Forest on Thursday, however, the midfielder did have his minutes limited and his involvement in Villa’s upcoming clash with Tottenham is doubtful.
Tottenham Team News
Xavi Simons suffered a serious ACL injury, likely keeping him sidelined for a minimum of seven months (per Fabrizio Romano). Dominic Solanke also picked up an injury in the win over Wolves.
Tottenham’s relegation battle continues, as they currently sit 18th in the Premier League table, two points adrift of safety and West Ham in 17th.
Aston Villa Injuries
Unavailable: Boubacar Kamara
Questionable: Amadou Onana
Tottenham Injuries
Unavailable: Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies
Questionable: Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie, Pape Matar Sarr, Guglielmo Viccario
Aston Villa vs Tottenham Predicted Lineups
Aston Villa Lineup Notes
Villa’s lineup is difficult to predict due to the likelihood of rotation ahead of their Europa League tie with Nottingham Forest.
Lucas Digne and Tyrone Mings could be called upon as rotation options, while Bogarde may come into the starting lineup if Onana’s minutes are managed due to his minor muscle issue.
Tottenham Lineup Notes
With Dominic Solanke’s availability uncertain, Richarlison could be called upon to lead the line for Spurs. With Xavi Simons sidelined long-term, and considering the style of football Roberto De Zerbi is implementing, Lucas Bergvall may be the most natural replacement.
Mathys Tel could earn a start, having shown improved form from the wing in recent matches, while Randal Kolo Muani remains another option—either out wide or leading the line.
Guglielmo Vicario’s availability is also unclear heading into the match, meaning young goalkeeper Kinský could be called upon to start between the posts.
Lineup images produced via FotMob
Aston Villa vs Tottenham Match Win Probability
Aston Villa: 62%
Draw: 19%
Tottenham: 19%
To view the win probabilities for every Premier League match, click here!
Aston Villa vs Tottenham Tactical Analysis
This has the potential to be a cagey affair. Tottenham are fighting for their Premier League survival with everything to lose, while Aston Villa could enter the match with a rotated lineup.
For Villa, fixtures are coming thick and fast over the next few weeks. Tottenham, meanwhile, have just four matches remaining to secure their Premier League status.
How Aston Villa Will Set Up
On paper, Aston Villa line up in a 4-2-3-1 shape that takes on different looks across each phase of play.
Aston Villa’s Defensive Shape
Out of possession, Villa transition into a 4-4-2 shape. Their holding midfielders sit slightly deeper, the wingers drop into the midfield line, and the No. 10 pushes higher to join the first defensive line.
Villa can become quite narrow at times, making themselves difficult to break down centrally. With their holding midfielders sitting deeper, they limit the space between the midfield and defensive lines.
When opponents overload central areas, Villa’s wingers will often tuck inside to support, which can leave space available in the wide areas for the opposition to exploit.
Aston Villa’s Attacking Shape
Aston Villa play with significant tempo in attack.
In possession, they shift into a 3-2-5 structure, with their fullbacks given the freedom to push high when opportunities arise. When those fullbacks advance, the responsibility falls on the holding midfielders to drop deeper and cover defensively.
When one of Villa’s fullbacks advances into the outside lane, it allows the corresponding winger to invert into more central and dangerous areas.
How Tottenham Will Set Up
On paper, Tottenham, like Villa. also line up in a 4-2-3-1 shape.
Tottenham’s Defensive Shape
Tottenham primarily defend in their 4-2-3-1 when positioned in their own half. However, they can also shift into a 4-4-2, with Conor Gallagher stepping higher into the first defensive line while retaining the ability to drop deeper if the press is bypassed.
Defensively, Tottenham’s players are aggressive in jumping their lines to pressure opponents in possession.
They also become very narrow in a low block, which can result in conceding too much space in wide areas.
Tottenham’s Attacking Shape
In attack, Tottenham transition into a 3-2-5 shape, often forming a “W”-shaped front five. This allows their No. 10s to move freely between the opposition’s lines.
Their attacking structure is slightly lopsided. Pedro Porro often inverts into midfield, while Yves Bissouma—or the left-sided holding midfielder—drops into the back line. Meanwhile, Djed Spence or Destiny Udogie pushes high on the left to provide width, which in turn allows the left winger to invert.
Tottenham play with high tempo in possession and are comfortable recycling the ball, even back into their defensive third, in order to stretch opponents vertically and invite pressure.
Tottenham’s Build-Up vs Aston Villa
During build-up, Tottenham shift into a 2-3-2-3 shape. Their left back pushes high and wide, while the left winger inverts into the half-space, effectively acting as a second No. 10.
From this structure, Spurs also have the option to go long and bypass build-up phases, targeting their striker or wide players—particularly the right winger and advanced left back.
Micky van de Ven is a key player in Tottenham’s build-up. He often attempts line-breaking passes into central areas, particularly towards inverted wingers. However, under Roberto De Zerbi, these passes have at times been forced or misplaced, creating opportunities for opponents to win possession high up the pitch.
As reflected in his incomplete pass map against Brighton, these forced passes can lead to errors in dangerous areas.
Tottenham’s progression from the back relies heavily on bounce passes and third-man combinations. Their No. 10s are particularly important in executing these movements and facilitating progression through the thirds.
When pressing, Villa may look to have a holding midfielder step higher to man-mark Rodrigo Bentancur in central areas during aggressive pressing phases.
Tottenham can find success in build-up by progressing play into wide areas, drawing Villa’s shape across, and then switching the direction of attack. This is something they have executed well in De Zerbi’s early matches in charge and could look to replicate here.
For Villa, it will be crucial to tightly mark Tottenham’s No. 10s, limiting easy line-breaking passes and restricting Spurs’ ability to progress up the pitch.
Aston Villa’s Build-Up vs Tottenham’s Press
Aston Villa have shown some inconsistency in their build-up play in recent matches. Tottenham, meanwhile, employ a high, man-marking press that can cause issues for sides attempting to play out from the back.
Villa build in a 4-2-3-1 shape and often rely on their fullbacks and wingers in wide areas to progress the ball before working it back centrally.
Their approach frequently involves baiting opponents into pressing their back line aggressively, creating space to exploit through the thirds. They were able to execute this effectively at times against Fulham last week.
However, Villa tend to struggle when opponents press with tight man-marking while remaining controlled and not overcommitting. Sunderland provided a recent example of a side that successfully forced errors in Villa’s build-up.
Tottenham press in a 4-1-4-1 shape, with one holding midfielder remaining deeper. The striker will often shadow-cover one centre-back, while the winger on that side steps out to mark the opposition fullback. The opposite winger then steps in to mark the other centre-back, and Tottenham’s fullback may be forced to leave his man to press higher depending on the situation.
Central spaces can open up for Villa if they are able to drag Tottenham’s midfielders deeper through effective movement.
Emiliano Martínez often looks toward John McGinn in wide areas when opting to go long and bypass build-up. This can be particularly effective if Tottenham’s fullback has already stepped high to press.
McGinn is a strong outlet in these situations due to his ball control and ability to hold up play. He can receive with his back to goal, retain possession, and allow teammates to advance before redistributing the ball centrally.
Villa can find success in progression if Tottenham press too aggressively. There have already been instances where Yves Bissouma has stepped well beyond his midfield line to press opposition centre-backs.
One effective—though risky—method of drawing Tottenham’s midfielders out is through progressive carries from the back line that break initial defensive lines.
If Villa are able to draw Spurs onto them successfully, they should be able to play through the press and progress up the pitch.
Emi Martinez’s Issues in Build-Up
A recurring issue in Villa’s recent build-up play has involved Emiliano Martínez. At times, he holds onto the ball for too long, allowing opponents to organize their press and pick up markers. Against a De Zerbi side, this hesitation could force Villa into going long too frequently, increasing the risk of cheap turnovers.
Aston Villa vs Tottenham Prediction
This match projects as a tight, low-scoring encounter. It could go either way, with chances potentially limited for both sides. A 0–0 draw appears a likely outcome, although either team could find a breakthrough via a counter-attack following a turnover.
