Fri 09 August 2019, 18:25
Tottenham HotspurWelcome to 'Spotlight' - where we'll take an in-depth look at our forthcoming opponents throughout the 2019/20 campaign. Aston Villa are up first in our Premier League opener at home on Saturday (5.30pm).
Newly-promoted Villa have returned to England’s top-flight, ending a three-year absence, after they triumphed in the Championship Play-off Final back in May, defeating Derby County 2-1 at Wembley.
So first up under the spotlight, it's the men from Villa Park...
Team news
Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith is boasting a near fully-fit squad ahead of the clash at our new stadium, with just defender James Chester set to miss the game through injury.
Pre-season form
Aston Villa have had a busy, successful summer. Five pre-season outings have delivered five wins with Minnesota United (3-0), Shrewsbury Town (1-0), Walsall (5-1), Charlton (4-1) and RB Leipzig (3-1) all dispatched in their preparations for their return to the top flight. Meanwhile, 12 new faces have arrived at Villa Park over the summer as they have looked to revamp their squad for the new campaign. Most notably, they have turned last season’s loan deals of Kortney Hause (Wolves) and Tyrone Mings (Bournemouth) into permanent transfers while Matt Targett has joined from Southampton and Tom Heaton has joined from Burnley.
A new face
Villa have made a number of summer signings capped by a shrewd late move for goalkeeper Tom Heaton from Burnley. A trainee at Manchester United, Heaton cut his teeth in loan deals at the likes of Swindon, Cardiff and QPR before moving to Burnley in 2013. His career took off at Turf Moor and he was named in the Championship Team of the Year after keeping 20 clean sheets on the way to promotion to the Premier League in 2015/16. Capped at all age levels by England, Heaton won three full caps and was included in Roy Hodgson's Euro 2016 squad. He was also on standby for the World Cup in 2018.
Leader of the opposition...
Leading Villa back to England’s top flight after their three-year absence is boyhood fan Dean Smith. West Bromwich-born Smith took over at Villa Park in October 2018 and transformed their fortunes in the Championship, lifting them from 15th up to the play-offs. Beginning his managerial career in 2011 at Walsall, a side which he had appeared for over 150 times as a player, he moved onto Brentford where he put together an entertaining team before returning to the West Midlands last Autumn. He immediately implemented a new style of play and system at the Birmingham-based outfit, injecting energy and increasing their attacking threat, so much so that in April they broke a club record which had stood for more than a century as they made it 10 wins on the bounce in the second tier, firing them to a fifth-place finish and onto the play-off final.
Last five meetings
8 January 2017 – Spurs 2-0 Aston Villa – FA Cup
13 March 2016 – Aston Villa 0-2 Spurs – Premier League
2 November 2015 – Spurs 3-1 Aston Villa – Premier League
11 April 2015 – Spurs 0-1 Aston Villa – Premier League
2 November 2014 – Aston Villa 1-2 Spurs – Premier League
The numbers game
1 – We have lost just one of our last 17 games against Aston Villa.
3 – Villa have won each of their last three opening Premier League fixtures, all coming away from home.
18 – The Villans, however, are win-less in their last 18 Premier League fixtures (D3 L15), losing their last seven in a row between February and May 2016.
4 – Harry Kane has scored four goals in his five Premier League appearances against Aston Villa.
1 – This will be the first time we have started a Premier League season at home since the 2010/11 season when we began with a 0-0 draw against Manchester City at White Hart Lane.
Played for both
Danny Blanchflower joined Spurs from Villa in 1954 - and went on to become one of our greatest-ever players. A classy midfielder, Danny captained Bill Nicholson's team through the 'glory, glory years', claiming the historic 'double' of First Division championship and FA Cup in 1961, the FA Cup again in 1962 - he scored in the final - and European Cup Winners' Cup in 1963. He lifted the trophy in Rotterdam aged 37.
One of the game's great thinkers and a masterful tactician, Danny could translate Bill’s tactics from the dressing room to the pitch. He was also capped 56 times by Northern Ireland and led his country to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 1958 - the same year he was named Footballer of the Year.
Famed for his 'the game is about glory' quote, words that resonate around the Club to this day, Danny was a successful journalist on retiring from the game. He passed away in 1993.
Quick quiz on Villa
Here are five quickfire questions on Villa - the answers are at the bottom of the page - no peeking!
- We last faced Villa in an FA Cup third round tie in January, 2017. We progressed with a win but what was the final score?
- 1-0
- 2-0
- 3-0
- Former Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel spent four years with us between 2011-2015, but how many appearances did the American make for us?
- 67
- 77
- 87
- Which midfielder joined Aston Villa on loan from us in August, 2011?
- Scott Parker
- Wilson Palacios
- Jermaine Jenas
- We celebrated our 125th birthday in October, 2007 with a dramatic 4-4 draw against Villa. We wore a special one-off commemorative kit that night - what were the main two colours of the strip?
- Black/gold
- Black/grey
- Blue/white
- From which club did Alan Hutton join us from in 2008, before moving to Aston Villa three years later?
- Rangers
- Hibernian
- Celtic
Pictures from the past
Match data
Venue - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Opposition colours - Claret and blue shirts, white shorts, light blue socks.
Referee - Chris Kavanagh.
Weather forecast - Breezy, 21 degrees.
Travel news - White Hart Lane station is back in use. Full travel details...
Quiz answers: 1 - 2-0; 2 - 67; 3 - Jermaine Jenas; 4 - Blue/white; 5 - Rangers.
