Tottenham Hotspur is set to host Aston Villa in the 3rd round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Tottenham Hotspur has been in poor form in the 2025/26 season. They are winless in the new year with two draws and one loss in their last three matches. Thomas Frank has come under more pressure after their recent 3-2 loss against Bournemouth – who were winless in the last 11 games before meeting Spurs.
Aston Villa, who have been in top form, having won 12 out of their last 14 games across all competitions, will travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with confidence. Villa was held to a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace in their last game. Unai Emery and his boys have been brilliant this season as they sit in the third position of the league table, eight points ahead of last season’s champions, Liverpool.
Tottenham vs. Aston Villa – Match preview and head-to-head
Tottenham have been in poor form, winning just two of their last 12 games. The fans have been furious with Thomas Frank’s style of play. They found themselves in the 13th position in the league table. After their loss against Bournemouth, Spurs captain Cristian Romero has apologised to the fans for the side’s dismal performances and also took a dig at the club’s hierarchy. The Lilywhites will look to turn things around in the Cup game at the weekend.
Aston Villa, who were cruising with an 11-match win record across competitions, was stopped by league leaders Arsenal. However, since the loss, they have won one and drawn one. The game against the Spurs will be an important one as they look to continue their hot form across all competitions. The battle will be an intense one, and Unai Emery’s side will look to qualify for the next round.
Overall, Spurs and Villa have met 178 times across all competitions. Spurs have had the upper hand in this fixture with 79 wins. The Villans have won 63 matches, and 36 games have ended in draws. Spurs last won back in 2024 when they had a thumping win of 4-1 against Unai Emery’s side in the Premier League, having earlier won 4-0, the same year as well.
In the most recent fixture, The Villans won by a narrow margin of 1-2 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The last time they met in an FA Cup match was in the fourth round back on 9th February 2025, where the Lions defeated Spurs with the same score, 2-1. The Lions are on a three-match winning streak against the North London club across all competitions.
Tottenham vs. Aston Villa- Team News
Thomas Frank’s side has been struck with injuries throughout the season. The side has been missing its key players, including Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, and Dominic Solanke, due to various injuries. The latest additions to the list are Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Bergvall, and Rodrigo Bentancur. The Ghanaian winger, who was taken off after being injured against Sunderland last weekend, is reported to be out till March, and Bentancur has suffered a hamstring injury in their previous game against Bournemouth.
Aston Villa will also miss some big names in this fixture, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley, due to injuries, and Emiliano Martinez and Tyrone Mings are not yet confirmed to be a part of the squad; the latter will also be assessed ahead of kickoff. However, Emery has the backup at the backline as Pau Torres, who came back midweek after recovering from a calf injury, and he could be starting the game at the weekend.
Prediction
Spurs are nowhere near their best form. Despite taking the lead at the Vitality Stadium, against Bournemouth, they yet again failed to capitalise, as a late injury-time winner from Antoine Semeyno handed Spurs their first defeat of the 2026. And, their last three matches against Villa will surely keep them worried at the weekend.
Villa, who earned a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace, was in their purple patch before the Arsenal match. However, they are also unbeaten in their last two games played. The Villans will surely be the favourites to start the game at the weekend, given their form and record against Spurs in the last three games.
Tottenham 1-3 Aston Villa.