Tottenham and Aston Villa seek a lift as Premier League strugglers meet

Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa meet in the fifth round of the 2025-2026 Premier League season on Saturday, 19 September 2026, with both clubs still searching for their first league win. Kick-off is scheduled for 11:30 GMT in the British capital.

Nasser Eddy, a consultant for NCI Sport and presenter of the European Champions League on radio Nostalgie, expects a tightly contested match and has outlined several betting angles, including a 0-0 draw at 9.3 and Tottenham to have more shots on target at 1.44.

Tottenham have taken no victory and scored no goals in their opening four league matches. Roberto De Zerbi’s side average more than 10 attempts per game, but their failure to convert chances has left their attack badly short of confidence. The departure of Brazilian striker Richarlison has added to the problems.

There has been some progress defensively, with Tottenham keeping clean sheets in their past two league fixtures after conceding five goals in their first two. Micky Van de Ven and his team-mates have allowed a maximum of seven corners in any league match.

However, Tottenham were beaten 3-1 by Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup. De Zerbi has now won only four of his 13 matches in charge of the Spurs.

Aston Villa’s league record is worse. Unai Emery’s team have lost three of their four matches and are second-bottom, despite finishing fourth last season. They also pushed Paris Saint-Germain close in the Super Cup a little over a month ago before losing 2-1.

Villa lost key players during the transfer window, including Morgan Rogers, who joined Chelsea. Captain John McGinn has been their main attacking contributor, with one goal and three assists in all competitions since August.

The Villans scored their first and only league goal of the season against Nottingham Forest last weekend, but still lost 2-1 at home. Their 13 corners from four league games underline their limited attacking output.

Villa did enjoy a 3-2 win at Club Bruges in the Champions League and advanced in the Carabao Cup with a 3-1 victory at Coventry City on Wednesday.

The teams met three times last season. They won 2-1 away from home in their two league meetings, while Aston Villa also won 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the FA Cup. Across their past 35 encounters, Tottenham have 21 wins to Villa’s 11, with three draws.

Ibrahim Mbaye is expected to make his first Premier League start for Tottenham after joining from Paris Saint-Germain. The 18-year-old Senegal international provided an assist for Ross Barkley in his first start, against Coventry City, and made his league debut as a substitute against Nottingham Forest.

The draw is priced at 3.74, with under 8.5 total corners at 3.04. John McGinn is priced at 1.03 not to score. The match will be shown on Canal+Sports Afrique and SuperSport PL. Odds may change.