Aston Villa host Tottenham at Villa Park on Sunday evening with Champions League qualification firmly in their sights.
- Kick-off is at 7pm on Sunday 3 May live on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max from 6pm
- Spurs arrive in the relegation zone and without Xavi Simons after an ACL rupture against Wolves
- Emery has insisted the Premier League remains his primary focus despite Thursday’s Forest semi-final
The Premier League must come first: Emery’s clear message
Despite Thursday’s Europa League semi-final first leg at the City Ground dominating the headlines, Emery has been unambiguous about where his priorities lie.
The Spanish manager made clear after Saturday’s Fulham defeat that finishing in the top five remains the primary objective, and Sunday’s game against Tottenham represents a potentially decisive step toward confirming Champions League football.
A 1-0 defeat at Craven Cottage last weekend saw Liverpool temporarily overtake Villa in fourth on goal difference.
With four games remaining and an eight-point cushion over sixth-placed Brighton, Emery’s side remain firmly in control of their own destiny.
However, dropping further points against a relegation-threatened opponent would be unacceptable particularly at Villa Park.
Spurs arrive depleted and desperate
Sunday’s visitors present a very different kind of challenge to the one their recent form might suggest.
Roberto De Zerbi secured his first Premier League win as Spurs manager against already-relegated Wolves on Saturday, but the victory came at a devastating cost.
Xavi Simons was stretchered off with a confirmed ACL rupture ruling him out for the remainder of the season and the summer World Cup. Dominic Solanke also limped off with a muscular problem whose severity remains unclear.
The injury list at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is alarming. Simons, Solanke, Guglielmo Vicario, Mohamed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, and Cristian Romero are all sidelined. Destiny Udogie and Pape Matar Sarr are doubts.
De Zerbi arrives at Villa Park with ten first-team players either absent or uncertain a s:quad stretched to its absolute limit at precisely the worst moment of the season.
The Head-to-Head: a fascinating historical split
The historical record between these two clubs at Villa Park cuts both ways.
Tottenham have won eight of the last ten meetings when visiting Birmingham, an encouraging statistical precedent for the visitors. However, and this is the critical caveat, Villa’s two victories in that period have come in the most recent meetings. Momentum and context favour the home side emphatically on Sunday.
Furthermore, the last time these two met in the league this season, Villa came from behind to win: goals from Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers overturning an early Spurs lead to claim all three points.
Where to watch and why the kick-off is at 7pm
Sunday’s fixture kicks off at the unusual time of 7pm at Villa Park.
The late slot exists because the game was originally scheduled for Saturday at 12:30pm, before being moved to Sunday following Villa’s Europa League progression.
TNT Sports subsequently allocated their 7pm broadcast slot to accommodate the rescheduled fixture. Coverage begins at 6pm on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max.
Champions League qualification. A depleted Spurs side. Villa Park behind them. Emery’s message has been clear: the Premier League comes first.
Sunday evening is the opportunity to take a giant stride toward confirming it
