Aston Villa vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Son Heung-min inspires big win in top-four race

Here’s how the two sides line up this afternoon.

ASTON VILLA XI: Martinez; Konsa, Lenglet, Torres; Digne, Cash, McGinn, Douglas Luiz; Bailey, Tielemans; Watkins.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Kulusevski, Son, Johnson.

Before the teams are released, a reminder of each side’s league position.

Villa sit in fourth – in the last Champions League qualification place – while Spurs sit five points behind them in fifth.

The home side have 55 points and Spurs have 50, though the North London side have a game in hand. Both sides have a comfortable lead on Manchester United and West Ham, who are in sixth and seventh on 47 and 42 points respectively.

Spurs’ next three games are against Fulham, Luton and West Ham, while Villa face West Ham, Wolves and Manchester City.

Villa are favourites for the game with the bookies, with a home win offered at 31/20. A draw is offered at 3/1, while an away win is at 8/5.

Villa are also favoured in the top four race, priced at 4/5 compared to Spurs’ 11/10.

Villa have beaten Spurs in three successive Premier League meetings for the first time since between 1994 and 1996. Villa won home and away last season, and won 2-1 away in November 2023, with goals from Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins.

Spurs will be hoping to avoid back-to-back away league defeats against Villa for the first time since 2004.

One particularly pertinent question for these two teams regards how many places the Premier League will receive for Champions League qualification.

Currently, the top four sides all qualify for Europe’s premiere cup competition – though fourth placed has to win a play-off round – and it has been this way for several years.

However, with the Champions League being expanded to 36 teams from next year, two of the extra four places will be awarded to countries whose teams perform best in this season’s European competitions.

England currently sits third in the race, behind Italy and Germany, which would mean Serie A and the Bundesliga receive a fifth Champions League place next season.

The home side have won four and lost one of their last five league games, that loss coming at home against Manchester United. Villa drew 0-0 away at Ajax in midweek in the first leg of their Europa Conference League round of 16. They sit on 55 points, five ahead of Spurs.

Spurs have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five games. Postecoglou’s side drew away at Everton in early February, and lost 2-1 to Wolves on 17 February. They have a game in hand on Villa, and two games in hand on Manchester United, who sit below them on 47 points.

While revenge might not be on Postecoglou’s mind, Champions League qualification certainly will be.

Spurs are five points behind fourth-placed Villa ahead of Sunday’s game, but their manager has emphasised that qualification alone is “not a Willy Wonka golden ticket”.

“It just gets you a year in the Champions League, but if you don’t build on that or grow from that, it is meaningless, I think anyway, because we’re not in it for participation, we’re in it to win things.

“Yes, if we make Champions League this year it means we’ve progressed from last year, but has our football progressed?”

Ange Postecoglou will not entertain talk of revenge when Tottenham visit Aston Villa on Sunday.

Spurs travel to Villa Park for what will be a crucial match in the battle for Champions League qualification with the hosts currently occupying fourth spot in the Premier League.

Villa have also won the last three meetings with Tottenham, but the narrative of revenge surrounds an incident from the previous clash on November 25.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Lenglet, Moreno; Bailey, McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Ramsey; Tielemans, Watkins

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Maddison, Werner; Son

Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey is a doubt and will be assessed after missing their Europa Conference League game against Ajax on Thursday over a foot issue. Pau Torres and John McGinn are available while Clement Lenglet could face his former club.

Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia and Boubacar Kamara remain sidelined.

Tottenham are boosted by the return of Pedro Porro who missed the last two matches through injury. Richarlison (knee), Fraser Forster (foot fracture), Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring) and Manor Solomon remain out.