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Aston Villa vs Tottenham – Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as both sides seek three points in crucial clash in the Champions League race

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Will Villa have to offload players even if they make the Champions League?

Aston Villa face the prospect of having to sell at least one key player this summer after losing nearly £120million in the last accounting year.

The Champions League-chasing club posted losses of £119.6m for the year ending May 30, 2023, with the next accounting period expected to end on June 30 this year.

The Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) state that clubs can lose no more than £105m over a three-year period, with points deductions among the possible penalties for doing so.

Click the link below to read more

Postecoglou: ‘It’s a big game and we may have to be patient’

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has also just stood in front of the TV cameras. He spoke about what he expects from today’s contest.

‘We know it’s a big game and it’s a team directly above us, they are a good side and these games are a good challenge – there is plenty of football still to be played.

‘They try to condense the pitch, we will have to be patient at times and break that down if we can sort of play the game in their half it negates that a little bit.’

Emery: ‘We are becoming more consistent’

Villa boss Unai Emery was chatting to Sky Sports just now. He spoke about wanting his team to continue their progress and that consistency will come as a result.

‘We are being more consistent. We lost two matches to Manchester United and Newcastle United, of course we analyse every matches. It’s important to analyse ourselves and develop ourselves.

‘But, today is a match more of less similar to Man Utd and Newcastle, we have to try show our potential and capacity against this team.’

Some good omens for a Villa success today

They have won their last three Premier League meeting with Spurs – their longest in this fixture since four-in-a-row, achieving in January 1996.

Villa have scored 59 Premier League goals this season – their most in a top-flight campaign since the 71 they scored under Martin O’Neill in 2007-08.

It’s their most at this precise stage of a top-flight season since 1932-33 when they had 68 goals!

Villa have won four of their last five Premier League matches, including the last three in a row.

It’s the fourth run of three or more consecutive wins under Unai Emery, something only two mangers had managed for them since O’Neill left in 2010.

They were Dean Smith (2020) and Steven Gerrard (2022).

A programme seller shelters from the rain outside Villa Park in Birmingham, central England on March 10, 2024 ahead of the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)

Tottenham’s Pape Matar Sarr reveals the career he wants to do after football

Pape Sarr likes to know how the machine works, behind the bright lights and the slick movements.

He likes to know what you do in the background to get the thing firing and how to fix things if they’re broken.

All of which explains his career choice once he’s finished with football!

Click the link below to find out.

Here come Spurs!

Tottenham are in the building at Villa Park. Here’s James Maddison and Son Heung-min arriving a short while ago.

EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Alex Morton/Tottenham Hotspur FC/Shutterstock (14379928k) James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur arrives Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League, Football, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK - 10 Mar 2024
EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Alex Morton/Tottenham Hotspur FC/Shutterstock (14379928i) Son Heung-Min of Tottenham Hotspur arrives Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League, Football, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK - 10 Mar 2024

Here’s how Tottenham line up

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

Subs: Austin, Hojbjerg, Dragusin, Royal, Werner, Lo Celso, Bentancur, Davies, Scarlett.

Ange Postecoglou has made three changes from the Tottenham side that beat Crystal Palace 3-1 last weekend.

Pedro Porro makes his return at right-back after missing a month with a muscle injury, while Brennan Johnson and Pape Matar Sarr are the others brought in.

Emerson Royal, Rodrigo Bentancur and Timo Werner all drop to the bench.

Here’s the Aston Villa line-up

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Lenglet, Torres, Digne, McGinn, Luiz, Tielemans, Watkins, Bailey.

Subs: Olsen, Carlos, Moreno, Diaby, Zaniolo, Duran, Rogers, Kesler-Hayden, Iroegbunam.

Unai Emery has made three changes from the Aston Villa side that drew 0-0 with Ajax in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday night.

Captain John McGinn, winger Leon Bailey and full-back Matty Cash all come back into the team in place of Moussa Diaby, Morgan Rogers and Tim Iroegbunam.

Villa vs Tottenham team news coming shortly

Stay tuned for the confirmed team line-ups from the first of our Premier League matches today.

Will Timo Werner (below) be involved for Spurs?

EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ryan Browne/Shutterstock (14381505j) Timo Werner of Tottenham Hotspur Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League, Football, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK - 10 Mar 2024

Who will win the Premier League? It’s All Kicking Off hosts have their say

One of the topics up for discussion on Mail Sport’s It’s All Kicking Off podcast this week was who will lift the trophy come May with Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal all slug it out.

See what Ian Ladyman and Chris Sutton had to say by clicking below and be sure to listen to the show.

‘It’s not Bondi, mate’

Ange Postecoglou braves the Brummie weather as Tottenham made their entrance at Villa Park a few minutes ago.

EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Kieran McManus/Tottenham Hotspur FC/Shutterstock (14379929i) Ange Postecoglou manager of Tottenham Hotspur on the pitch prior to kick off Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League, Football, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK - 10 Mar 2024

Important fixtures at the foot of the table today

Both 2pm kick-offs today will affect the relegation picture at the bottom of the Premier League.

Burnley, who dropped to the foot of the table when Sheffield United picked up a point at Bournemouth yesterday, play at West Ham.

They’re 11 points off Nottingham Forest, who are up against Brighton at the same time.

It’s increasingly do-or-die for the Clarets if they’re to escape the drop, while Forest also really need something with the threat of a point deduction still hanging over them.

Yesterday, Luton snatched what could prove a very significant point at Crystal Palace thanks to Cauley Woodrow’s late goal, while Everton and Brentford losses prevented them pulling away.

Ange: ‘We can’t see Champions League qualification as Willy Wonka’s golden ticket’

Some typically colourful comments from Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou ahead of this game, making the point it’s meaningless spending a season in the Champions League – with all the riches that flow from it – without making continuous progress.

Yes, he did say ‘mate’ before making the Willy Wonka comment too…

Click the link below to read more.

It’s a soggy one in Birmingham

Not the most pleasant day in Birmingham, it’s fair to say…

Soccer Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - March 10, 2024 Fans outside the stadium before the match REUTERS/David Klein NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 45 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS.
Soccer Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - March 10, 2024 Fans outside the stadium before the match REUTERS/David Klein NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 45 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS.
Soccer Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - March 10, 2024 General view outside the stadium before the match REUTERS/David Klein NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 45 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS.

How the top of the table looks

Let’s begin by taking a look at the top end of the Premier League and the situation we find ourselves in ahead of today’s action.

Arsenal moved top with last night’s crucial 2-1 win over Brentford, with the Gunners a point ahead of Liverpool and two ahead of City.

Of course, the victors of today’s clash at Anfield will go ahead of them in this title race which promises plenty of twists and turns yet.

Beneath them, probably but not entirely out of the title picture, are Villa in fourth on 55 points and then Spurs in fifth on 50 points.

So a Villa win today will put valuable breathing space between them and Spurs if the Premier League only ends up with four Champions League spots.

If the league gets that fifth place, you certainly can’t rule out Manchester United, whose win over Everton yesterday put them within striking distance of Spurs.

The race for the Champions League is ON

Before the titanic title tussle between Liverpool and Manchester City later on, a match also of considerable significance towards the top end of the Premier League.

Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are both hoping to play in the Champions League next season.

Indeed, they both might if the Premier League gets five places based on the UEFA coefficient. But fourth guarantees it and so today’s meeting at Villa Park carries plenty of significance.

By 3pm, Villa could have opened up an eight-point gap to Spurs, or it could be down to two. Manchester United in sixth – inconsistent but still hopeful – are on the prowl in sixth spot.

In addition, we have a couple of 2pm kick-offs to keep tabs on – Brighton vs Nottingham Forest and West Ham vs Burnley both have implications at the wrong end of the table.

So a warm welcome along to our live coverage of the three ‘early’ Premier League matches today, whetting the appetite before the big one later.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - March 10, 2024 Fans outside the stadium before the match REUTERS/David Klein NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 45 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS.

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