Aston Villa vs Tottenham LIVE
High-flying Aston Villa dispatched Tottenham 2-0 in the Premier League on Friday to improve their chances of more Champions League football and leave their visitors firmly focused on next week's Europa League final.
With Villa dominating possession in a party atmosphere for their final home game of the season, the breakthrough came in the 59th minute when centre-back Ezri Konsa whipped home after Ollie Watkins headed the ball into his path from a corner.
Midfielder Boubacar Kamara rifled home Villa's second in the 73rd minute to end the tepid resistance of Spurs, who hope to salvage an otherwise miserable season in Bilbao next week if they can beat Manchester United to lift the Europa League.
With one fixture left, Villa went fourth in the Premier League with the win - a point above Manchester City in the last Champions League qualifying spot albeit Pep Guardiola's side have two games more to play. Chelsea, in sixth, were also playing on Friday in the later kick-off.
Aston Villa vs Tottenham latest news
- Kick-off: 7.30pm BST, Villa Park
- How to watch: Sky Sports
- Aston Villa XI: Maatsen and Asensio start
- Tottenham XI: Moore and Reguilon start
- Score prediction
That one will not live long in the memory for Spurs fans, but could be huge for Villa’s.
Villa up to fourth, for now with Chelsea in action, and a huge step taken towards qualifying for the Champions League.
For Spurs, all eyes now firmly on Bilbao.
Full-time!
21:28 , Alex Young97min: There’s the whistle.
Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham
21:18 , Alex Young91min: Six minutes added on.
Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham
21:17 , Alex Young90min: Another Villa change. Bailey on for McGinn.
Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham
21:14 , Alex Young87min: Odobert and Moore are off, replaced by Richarlison and Johnson.
Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham
21:14 , Alex Young86min: But first, Watkins comes off in place of Malen.
Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham
21:13 , Alex Young85min: Concern for Spurs with Moore now on the deck, though it looks like he was coming off anyway.
Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham
21:11 , Alex Young82min: Richarlison and Johnson being readied.
Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham
21:03 , Alex Young75min: Double change for Spurs as Reguilon and Son are taken off. Solanke and Bentancur are on.
GOAL!
21:01 , Alex Young73min: That should be that! Kamara drills home from just inside the area.
Poor defending from Spurs and Kinsky is beaten too easily.
Aston Villa 1-0 Tottenham
20:58 , Alex Young70min: Villa playing with so much more calmness now.
Surprised to see Son still on the pitch.
Aston Villa 1-0 Tottenham
20:54 , Alex Young66min: Spurs win a free kick on the right-hand side of Villa area. Reguilon takes, sends it into the wall, Tel takes the follow-up and hits the first defender.
Aston Villa 1-0 Tottenham
20:51 , Alex Young64min: The atmosphere around Villa Park has completely changed. Relief.
Aston Villa 1-0 Tottenham
20:49 , Alex Young62min: Almost a second for Villa as Watkins tries to slide in but Davies just about gets a boot there first but still needs Kinsky to make a diving save.
GOAL!
20:48 , Alex Young60min: There’s the breakthrough! The corner is floated to the back post, Watkins heads back and Konsa sweeps home from close range.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
20:46 , Alex Young59min: Great sliding block from Danso to throw himself in the way of Watkins’ shot.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
20:43 , Alex Young55min: Spurs passing it around their defence as the Villa crowd again get restless.
On Sarr, if that is an injury, I did not see when he could have picked it up. A worry.
Dan Kilpatrick at Villa Park
20:42 , Alex YoungPape Matar Sarr is heading straight down the tunnel flanked by a member of Spurs' medical staff. Not a great sign ahead of the Europa League Final. Are Spurs about to lose another midfielder?
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
20:40 , Alex Young52min: As predicted, an early change. Bissouma is on for Sarr, who surely starts on Wednesday.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
20:39 , Alex Young50min: Some argy-bargy between Tel and Konsa, which is rumbling on despite Son trying to defuse the situation.
Then Reguilon gets involved for some reason.
Replays show that Konsa threw Tel to the ground, which does happen.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
20:37 , Alex Young48min: Super spot from Kinsky to pick up Odobert running on his own into the Villa area, who beats the offside trap but a poor second touch lets him down.
Big chance.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
20:36 , Alex Young48min: Asensio straight on the front foot, winning a corner.
He takes it, and Kinsky claims.
Second half
20:34 , Alex Young46min: No changes.
With the likes of Bissouma, Richarlison, Solanke, Johnson, Porro and Bentancur on the bench, you wouldn’t be surprised to see Postecoglou make changes sooner rather than later.
Dan Kilpatrick at Villa Park
20:20 , Alex YoungIt says a lot about expectations around Spurs in the league and especially this XI that a goalless first half has to go down as a job well done for the visitors.
Villa have struggled to break down a compact Spurs rearguard, while Son - who is likely to come off early in the second half - and Odobert have had joy down the left.
You'd expect this Spurs team to tire in the second half, so it will be interesting to see which subs Postecoglou is willing to risk ahead of Bilbao.
Half-time!
20:17 , Alex Young47min: There’s the whistle. Villa won’t be happy.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
20:16 , Alex Young45min: One minute added on.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
20:11 , Alex Young40min: Oh dear. Another great break for Spurs through Son, and the skipper waits and waits to deliver the pass with Odobert and Tel waiting... but he ends up playing it behind both of them.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
20:07 , Alex Young36min: Stunning effort from Asensio, cutting inside and wrapping a shot around the far post. Inches away.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
20:06 , Alex Young34min: Gray into the book for a very late challenge on Watkins. He’s now walking a tightrope.
Dan Kilpatrick at Villa Park
20:04 , Alex YoungFirst note of frustration from the home fans inside Villa Park as another attack breaks down in a packed Spurs penalty box. Villa are trying to be too cute in the final third and they are anguished cries of "just shoot" from behind the press box.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
20:0433min: Frustrations growing for Villa both on the pitch and in the stands.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
20:01 , Alex Young29min: Stunning run from Asenio, skipping past Tel and then Son before sending an arrowed pass into Watkins, but the striker’s subsequent shot is blocked.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
19:57 , Alex Young25min: The most predictable yellow card of the game is already in as Cash is booked. He’s complaining, and rightly so, about a heavy tackle from Tel and waves an imaginary card. That’s enough to earn him a real one.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
19:55 , Alex Young22min: Great chance for Watkins, who doesn’t realise how much time he has in the area and looks to pass to Rogers when in fact he could have taken a touch and done his weekly shop.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
19:50 , Alex Young19min: Up the other end and Villa go closest yet as Rogers ghosts in and nods a glancing header at goal which Kinsky does brilliantly to push away.
Dan Kilpatrick at Villa Park
19:49 , Alex YoungMy expectations for Spurs in the League have long since been ground down but this isn't nearly as bad as I expected it to be.
Spurs have put together a couple of promising counter-attacks and the latest sees Martinez make a smart save to deny Odobert's brilliant first-time flick.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
19:47 , Alex Young16min: Spurs again go close after a great counter attack. Odobert sends Tel down the wing, the teenager returns the favour and Martinez is needed to push a flicked finish away.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
19:46 , Alex Young15min: This time Son does decide to shoot and he’s so close to opening the scoring.
Cuts in onto his right and bends a shot cut over Martinez’s far top corner.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
19:44 , Alex Young13min: Son’s takes and sends his delivery straight into Martinez’s arms.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
19:43 , Alex Young12min: First corner goes to Spurs after Son’s cross is booted behind by Konsa.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
19:41 , Alex Young10min: Another sighter for Villa as Maatsen cuts inside and lets fly, but it’s miles wide.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
19:39 , Alex Young8min: Villa back on the ball as Watkins tests Kinsky from range. An easy one for the keeper.
Rogers then tries to pick out Asensio in the area, but his pass has a little too much spice.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
19:37 , Alex Young5min: Why didn’t Son shoot?!
He is sent clear of Cash with a brilliant ball over the top from Gray, scampers into the area and looks for a team-mate rather than go alone, and the defender gets in the block.
Aston Villa 0-0 Tottenham
19:36 , Alex Young3min: All Villa in the opening stages.
Dan Kilpatrick at Villa Park
19:33 , Alex YoungSon has started on the left, with Odobert and Tel seemingly playing in a front two. Spurs are short of a No10 for Wednesday's Europa League Final...but don't appear to be playing one here.
Kick-off!
19:31 , Alex Young1min: Here we go!
And here they come.
The players are in the tunnel.
Final prep.
Dan Kilpatrick checks in
19:16 , Alex YoungOur man in Birmingham.
"Full focus on Bilbao for Spurs."
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) May 16, 2025
Could someone make a case to start next week? Here's @Dan_KP at Villa Park.#AVLTOT pic.twitter.com/rhwHY5t3Rq
As Spurs toil near the bottom of the table, Aston Villa really must win tonight to have any chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. They sit sixth, level on points with fifth-placed Chelsea and two points off Man City in fourth.
Beautiful evening for it.
Tottenham defender Ben Davies to Sky Sports
18:53"It's another opportunity for us to go out there and build some momentum for a big game on Wednesday [Europa League final].
"It has been a very up and down season. Aston Villa have proven this season how good they are again. We know it's going to be another big task ahead of us."
Team news
18:48 , Alex YoungFor Aston Villa, it’s three changes as Torres and Maatsen come in for Mings and Digne. Ramsey is suspended so McGinn comes back in.
Son starts his first game since returning from injury, and is joined in the line-up by Moore and, remarkably, Reguilon. Odobert is in the No10 role. Danso and Davies are the centre-backs in front of second-choice goalkeeper Kinsky.
Sergio Reguilon starts a Premier League game for Spurs for the first time since April 2022.
Confirmed teams in full
18:25 , Alex YoungAston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, Onana, Rogers, Asensio, McGinn, Watkins
Subs: Olsen, Disasi, Mings, Digne, Garcia, Bogarde, Barkley, Bailey, Malen
Tottenham XI: Kinsky; Spence, Danso, Davies, Reguilon; Sarr, Gray, Odobert; Moore, Tel, Son
Subs: Vicario, Porro, Bissouma, Cassanova, Bentancur, Olusesi, Johnson, Richarlison, Solanke
Tottenham XI
18:17 , Alex Young...and Spurs!
Your Spurs side 👊
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 16, 2025
🔢 @krakenfx pic.twitter.com/gpxLdCqCqM
Aston Villa XI
18:16 , Alex YoungHere’s how the hosts look!
How we start our penultimate Premier League game — UP THE VILLAAA 🟣#AVLTOT pic.twitter.com/IA7ZC7lhZ6
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 16, 2025
Team news in 10 minutes. Another eight changes from Ange?
Bergvall triples up
17:54 , Alex YoungLucas Bergvall has completed a clean sweep of Tottenham’s end-of-season awards.
The 19-year-old signed for Spurs in February last year before officially arriving in the summer, and on a personal level he has enjoyed a successful first season at the club.
Bergvall has made 45 appearances in all competitions and was rewarded with a new contract last month, committing his future through to 2031.
The Swedish teenager has now been recognised by the fans too, having been named the Official Supporters' Clubs player of the season.
That is one of three awards for Bergvall, who also came top of the voting for the One Hotspur Members and One Hotspur Juniors prizes.
Bergvall has featured 12 times in the Europa League this season, including ten starts, but he will not be involved in the final against Manchester United in Bilbao.
Latest odds
17:46 , Alex YoungLooks like the world is backing an easy home win tonight. When as the last Spurs times were that long to win a Premier League game?
- Aston Villa – 1/3
- Draw – 19/4
- Tottenham – 13/2
(*Odds provided by Betway.)
Why are Tottenham and Manchester United playing on a Friday night?
17:38 , Alex YoungTottenham and Manchester United are both playing in the Premier League tonight in a rare double dose of Friday night action.
When the Premier League last month confirmed the new kick-off times for this weekend’s Premier League schedule, United saw their trip to Stamford Bridge moved to a Friday night as Tottenham’s trip to Villa Park was set for Sunday afternoon.
The Premier League and Football Association agreed last season that the men’s FA Cup final would be given a dedicated day with no top-flight action, so Saturday was a no-go for all teams.
To further complicate matters, Chelsea and United are also facing each other on Sunday in the women’s FA Cup final and both clubs asked for their Premier League game to take place on a different day to avoid taking the focus away from a huge cup clash. That left Friday night as the only possible option.
Enter Tottenham, who moved quickly to ask to move to the same evening as United, when it appeared highly likely the two teams would face each other in the Europa League final the following week. As it then stood, United would have two days’ extra rest than their final opponents and, understandably for Spurs, that was deemed unfair.
An appeal to change the fixture went to the Premier League, which Villa quickly rejected on the grounds that it was their final home game and they had family-focused events planned which would be difficult to hold in the evening. Discussions continued between all three parties and Spurs got their wish for fairness, much to Villa’s annoyance.
That left Spurs facing Villa at 7.30pm before Chelsea and United kick off at 8.15pm.
Aston Villa vs Tottenham prediction
17:28 , Alex YoungVilla have responded to their shocking FA Cup semi-final defeat by Crystal Palace at Wembley with back-to-back narrow league wins to boost their hopes of a top-five finish.
Emery’s men are not firing on all cylinders, though are grinding out results to stay very much in the Champions League qualification mix, having done so brilliantly in that competition this season.
With only the cut-adrift and settled bottom three now below them, Spurs’ league campaign has been totally miserable, yielding 20 losses from a season that has included 25 defeats in total.
Tottenham have only won once in the league since February, a 1-0 victory over Southampton in early April that relegated the rock-bottom Saints.
None of their fringe players have been stating a case for inclusion in the starting XI for Bilbao and it’s not difficult to foresee another tough evening in store.
Aston Villa to win, 2-1.
Early Tottenham team news
17:20 , Alex YoungAnge Postecoglou will seek to strike the right balance with his team selection tonight.
The Australian will want to get minutes into some of his stars, and Pape Matar Sarr, who is likely to fill in at No10 in Spain, likely needs the game time, while Heung-min Son will be involved after he returned from a foot injury last time out.
Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will be vital to Spurs' chances against United and could play 45 minutes each at Villa Park, while right-back Pedro Porro is likely to be protected for the final.
Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma may also share duties against Unai Emery's side, with Archie Gray pushing for another midfield start. Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson could be rested, paving the way for another opportunity for Wilson Odobert.
Richarlison, whose chances of starting the final have been lessened by Son's return to fitness, is pushing to play through the middle, while Mathys Tel is likely to be Son's understudy.
Timo Werner is sidelined with a hamstring injury, Dane Scarlett will miss the rest of the season after groin surgery and Radu Dragusin (knee) remains out.
Early Aston Villa team news
17:12 , Alex YoungAaron Ramsey will serve a one-match ban for Aston Villa after his two yellow cards against Bournemouth, while Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford is out with a hamstring injury.
Youri Tielemans will also miss out again through injury.
How to watch Aston Villa vs Tottenham
17:05 , Alex YoungTV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports. Coverage begins on Sky Sports Premier League at 7pm BST, ahead of kick-off at 7.30pm.
Live stream: Fans can catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.
Welcome
16:59 , Alex YoungGood evening and welcome to the London Standard’s LIVE coverage of the Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Tottenham.
The weekend action begins at Villa Park thanks to Spurs successfully getting this game moved forward two days due to next week’s Europa League final.
So, Spurs should be looking far from full strength tonight against a Villa team still chasing a top-five finish and Champions League football.
Goals tonight are surely a guarantee. Kick-off is at 7.30pm BST.
