Aston Villa will be determined to end a 27-match winless streak when they face Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon. Under the guidance of Unai Emery, the West Midlands club has experienced a remarkable resurgence, transforming from relegation candidates to contenders for European qualification.
However, their aspirations have suffered a setback with consecutive 1-0 defeats against Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, jeopardizing their chances of securing continental football.
With only three matches remaining, Villa finds themselves one point behind seventh-placed Brighton & Hove Albion, who have played two fewer games in the Premier League.
The final day clash between Villa and Brighton could potentially determine whether they will have additional fixtures in the 2023-24 season.
In the short term, their focus may be on overtaking sixth-placed Tottenham, as they trail the London side by a mere three points. While a three-goal victory is needed to leapfrog Spurs, even closing the gap in points could prove decisive as the season draws to a close.
A victory over Tottenham would mark the first time since 1995-96 that the Villans has achieved a double over their opponents. Emery’s side secured a 2-0 triumph on New Year’s Day, with goals from Emiliano Buendia and Douglas Luiz in the second half.
On the flip side, Villa has struggled in home league fixtures against Spurs, failing to secure a win in the last 11 encounters, registering only two draws and suffering nine defeats since 2008.
However, Emery has witnessed Villa record five consecutive home league wins, all accompanied by clean sheets. A sixth victory would mark their best league run at Villa Park in three decades.
In a contrasting statistic, Emery, who saw them score in his first 20 Premier League matches in charge, is now hoping to avoid his worst scoring run in 16 years. He has not experienced three successive league games without scoring since his time with Almeria in 2007.
