Aston Villa vs Tottenham LIVE: FA Cup updates, latest team news, TV, prediction

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Evening Standard

·9 February 2025

Aston Villa vs Tottenham LIVE: FA Cup updates, latest team news, TV, prediction

Spurs bid to bounce back after Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool

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Tottenham are back in FA Cup action as they face Aston Villa in the fourth round. Spurs, who needed extra time to overcome non-League Tamworth in the last round, will be looking to bounce back after their Carabao Cup defeat at Liverpool on Thursday.

That defeat at Anfield turned up the pressure on Ange Postecoglou, whose hopes of salvaging a difficult season now rest on the FA Cup and the Europa League. Spurs do have a good recent record at Villa Park and won 4-0 there in the Premier League last season.

But Spurs remain without a host of injured first-team players including Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven and Richarlison. As Villa star striker Ollie Watkins is among five absentees but January signings Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio could make their debuts. Axel Disasi is cup-tied having featured for Chelsea in round three.

Defeat would pile pressure on Postecoglou but victory would give Spurs a much-needed lift. Follow all the action LIVE with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog!

Live updates

25 minutes ago

Tottenham have a strong recent record against Aston Villa.

In all competitions, Spurs have won nine of their last 10 away games at Villa Park and their last two wins came by the same 4-0 scoreline (April 2022 and March 2024).

Spurs lost against Manchester City in the fourth round of the FA Cup last season but they have progressed from four of their last five ties at this stage of the competition.

2 hours ago

Tel thrown into the Tottenham deep end

With Richarlison injured again, new signing Mathys Tel is set to play a crucial role for Tottenham in the coming weeks.

Tel is in line to start an Anfield and will have no time to ease himself gently into life at Spurs.

And what does Richarlison’s latest injury mean for the Brazilian’s future?

Read Dan Kilaptrick’s analysis here.

AFP via Getty Images

12 hours ago

Stakes are high for Spurs

It was not so much the result as the manner of Tottenham's performance at Anfield that was alarming for Ange Postecoglou.

As the head coach acknowledged, a "passive" Spurs sunk without a trace in a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in their Carabao Cup semi-final decider on Thursday.

This was not like Spurs' 6-3 home defeat to Liverpool in December, which was shambolic but at least spirited, and even less their disciplined, feisty 1-0 win in last month's first leg in London. It was a surrender.

There would have been no shame in Spurs going down swinging against Arne Slot's league leaders, especially given the state of Postecoglou's depleted squad, but a limp exit without laying a glove on Liverpool is harder to justify, and further raises the stakes for Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round tie at Aston Villa.

Read the full story here!

REUTERS

15 hours ago

Standard Sport prediction

Tottenham will be keen to bounce back after losing their Carabao Cup semi-final tie against Liverpool.

However, Spurs’ well documented injury woes make that task even harder against an Aston Villa side that have bolstered their attacking department with Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio.

The visitors do have a good record at Villa Park, but it’s difficult to see that continuing on Sunday evening.

Aston Villa to win 3-2

18 hours ago

Early Aston Villa team news

Aston Villa will be without five first-team players for tomorrow’s game, including star striker Ollie Watkins.

The striker was forced off during the loss at Wolves last weekend with a groin injury, and replaced by January signing Donyell Malen.

Malen could again deputise up front, or Marcus Rashford is available to make his debut, with manager Unai Emery confirming Watkins has been unable to train.

“We are going to work tomorrow, but at the beginning, we have out, not available for Sunday, Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres, [Matty] Cash, Ross Barkley and Watkins," Emery told reporters on Friday.

“For [Watkins], each day is being important, how he is feeling, but for Sunday, I think he is not going to be available because today he didn’t train.

“Tomorrow, I think he is not going to train as well, because he will need more days to recover. Hopefully, for next week, he will be available.”

Action Images via Reuters

21 hours ago

Early Tottenham team news

Tottenham’s injury woes have further worsened.

Spurs head to Villa Park for their fourth-round tie hoping to avoid exiting two domestic cups in four days, having lost 4-1 on aggregate in the Carabao Cup semi-final after Thursday’s 4-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

Richarlison’s injury, sustained against the Reds, means Spurs have 11 first-team absentees for the trip to Villa Park.

The 27-year-old striker was forced off in the first half with a calf injury and is the latest to succumb to injury, with Postecoglou revealing the Brazilian was “emotional” after his latest injury setback.

New signings Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel made their debuts in Thursday’s heavy defeat at Anfield and are available. Tel could be handed a first start given Postecoglou’s two main strikers, Solanke and Richarlison, are injured and youngster Dane Scarlett is cup-tied.

Tottenham predicted XI: Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Davies, Spence; Bentancur, Sarr, Bergvall; Kulusevski, Tel, Son