Troy Deeney has chosen his winner for Aston Villa’s match against Tottenham in the Premier League, but he admitted it was a difficult prediction.
The Villans have recovered from a disastrous start in the Premier League this season, winning their last two matches across all competitions heading into the international break.
Donyell Malen scored a brace in the 2-1 win against Burnley to move his side back within touching distance of the European places.
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Now, they will travel to North London for a pivotal clash against Spurs, and Deeney found it tough to predict who would come out on top.
Troy Deeney on punditry duty
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Ollie Watkins will be a massive miss for Aston Villa
Speaking on his TikTok account, Deeney believes that Ollie Watkins’ injury woes heading into the clash will help Tottenham earn the three points on Sunday.
“Very tricky game. Spurs, inconsistent, they’ve had a decent start, but have been inconsistent. Aston Villa, again, had an awful start, but it got to the end of the international break with some good results both in the Premier League and in Europe.
“Spurs have got a bit of a backbone now under Thomas Frank. I fancy them to just get over the line. That injury to Ollie Watkins is going to be a bit of a problem as well for Aston Villa. So, I’m going to go for a 2-1 Spurs victory.”
Although Watkins has scored only one league goal in his seven outings this season, his latest injury setback poses a huge selection dilemma for Unai Emery.
The “very talented” Morgan Rogers has also underwhelmed with his performances at Villa Park thus far, and the team’s underperforming stars will need to be at their best at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However, there is a chance for summer signing Evann Guessand to start in his preferred central role. The Ivory Coast international has struggled for Villa, and although Watkins is ready to feature at some capacity, he may not be risked to start on Sunday.
Aston Villa finished two points above Spurs in the 2023/24 campaign to secure Champions League football.
They missed out on a second consecutive year in the competition on the final day to Newcastle last term. This match could have serious repercussions at the end of the season.
Unai Emery suggests Morgan Rogers is ready to make an impact
Although all the attention heading into the clash in North London is centred on Watkins’ availability, Rogers’ lacklustre performances have also contributed to Villa’s poor form so far.
The 23-year-old was a standout performer alongside Watkins last term but has since been unable to exert his usual influence.
However, Emery was positive when discussing his talisman in the pre-match press conference and said Rogers is growing in confidence.
Morgan Rogers playing for Aston Villa vs Newcastle United
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
“He is getting better. He started a little bit like the team, not performing very well, not confident. But the last matches he played, maybe he’s not scoring, but he’s playing better.
“He’s feeling better, confident, of course it’s helping him, with the national team, how they were performing collectively and as well individually, his responsibility and being a protagonist like he is in the starting 11.”