Premier League Preview: Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur

Both sides have been witness to big wins of late, and both harbour ambitions of sneaking a Champions League place at the expense of floundering Liverpool.

Martin O'Neill will want to get his Villans side back to winning ways as soon as possible, after only just securing a point against Owen Coyle's Burnley recently, while Tottenham Hotspur coach Harry Redknapp will be hoping to continue their hot goal-scoring run.

Jermain Defoe, in particular, has won plaudits for equalling a Premier League best of five goals in a single game, but the player himself wants to be the top striker throughout the busy Christmas period that could have a direct say on the club's final league standing at the end of the season.

For Spurs, this is the first of a three-game run that pits them against all the other clubs vying for a European spot, aside from Liverpool. Everton and Manchester City also loom on the horizon.

FORM GUIDE

Aston Villa

Burnley 1-1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 5-1 Bolton Wanderers
West Ham 2-1 Aston Villa
Everton 1-1 Aston Villa
Sunderland 0-0 Aston Villa

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham 9-1 Wigan
Tottenham 2-0 Sunderland
Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham
Tottenham 2-0 Everton
Tottenham 0-1 Stoke

TEAM NEWS

Aston Villa

Martin O'Neill has two absentees from his defensive department as James Collins and Curtis Davies are both struggling for fitness.

The former has a groin strain and is a doubt for Saturday's tie, while the latter is a certainty to be omitted due to his dislocated shoulder.

Last starting XI (Burnley 4-4-2): Friedel, Young, Cuellar, Dunne, Warnock, Milner, Sidwell, Petrov, Young, Carew, Agbonlahor.

Tottenham Hotspur

Long-term injuries to Carlo Cudicini (broken wrist) and Luka Modric (broken leg) prevent their contribution to the Spurs line-up.

Centre-back Ledley King, though, could be available.

Last starting XI (Wigan Athletic 4-4-2): Gomes, Corluka, Dawson, Woodgate, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Huddlestone, Palacios, Kranjcar, Defoe, Crouch.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Aston Villa

Should Spurs be as on-song and relentless as they were in their last Premier League outing, then Martin O'Neill will want his full-backs to stay tight to the Tottenham wingers to prevent the delivery that destroyed Wigan Athletic. Stephen Warnock has been noted for his solid, reliable, yet unspectacular displays as a Villan.

Tottenham Hotspur

Harry Redknapp has called on Jermain Defoe to prove to the country that he is a 20 plus goals a season striker. He already has 11, five of them scored last weekend, but can he add to that haul on Saturday?

PREDICTION

Aston Villa 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Alan Dawson, Goal.com UK