Aston Villa will welcome Tottenham Hotspur in the 4th round of the FA Cup on Sunday, with all eyes on Unai Emery and how he sets up his team following an active January transfer window.
Villa were one of the busiest clubs in the market, second only to Manchester City in terms of eye-catching acquisitions. They did sell Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr but they have bolstered their attacking department with the signings of Marco Asensio, Donyell Malen, and Marcus Rashford.
This flurry of transfers comes at a time when Aston Villa’s form has dipped. They have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five matches, managing just one win in that period.
The last time these two sides met in November, Villa suffered a 4-1 defeat. However, circumstances are totally different this time. Tottenham will go into this FA Cup clash at the back of a humiliating 4-0 loss to Liverpool and this is a big advantage for the home side.
Aston Villa’s Team News & Injuries:
Ollie Watkins joins a growing list of absentees, which includes Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings, Ross Barkley, and Pau Torres, all of whom will be unavailable on Sunday.
Watkins suffered a groin injury and was subbed off at half-time during Villa’s match against Wolves. Emery, in his press conference, has confirmed that the striker will not recover in time for this game.
“We are going to work tomorrow, but at the beginning, we have out, not available for Sunday: Tyrone Mings, Pau Torres, Matty Cash, Ross Barkley, and Watkins,” Emery told reporters, as quoted by The Standard.
“For [Watkins], each day is important in terms of recovery, 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.”
Watkins’ absence means Donyell Malen should start up front, though Marcus Rashford could also be deployed as a central striker. Rashford is no stranger to that role, and while he’s not in peak match fitness, this game against a faltering Spurs team provides the perfect opportunity for him to make an impact.
Marco Asensio is also expected to start on the right wing, ahead of Morgan Rogers.
Ollie Watkins has made 15 goal contributions in the Premier League this season which means Rashford has big boots to fill. The England international will need to hit the ground running immediately because if he fails to impress, Emery won’t hesitate to use Malen as his main striker.
Axel Disasi, another January arrival from Chelsea, is cup-tied and will not be available for selection.
Aston Villa Predicted Lineup vs Tottenham Hotspur:
Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez
Defenders: Ian Maatsen, Boubacar Kamara, Konsa, Bogarde
Midfielders: Youri Tielemans, Onana, McGinn
Attackers: Jacob Ramsey, Marco Asensio, Marcus Rashford
