Aston Villa are aiming to secure their first Premier League win of the season when they visit Tottenham on Saturday. The match pits two sides struggling for goals and points early in the campaign, with Villa currently 19th in the table with just one point from four matches.
Unai Emery's team finally opened their league scoring account last weekend in a 1-2 home defeat to Nottingham Forest. Alysson Edward Franco da Rocha got the goal, assisted by captain John McGinn. That solitary strike means Villa and Tottenham have managed just one league goal between them so far this season.
Tottenham's start has been historically poor. They have failed to score in their opening four league matches, the first time that has happened in the club's history. The only time they have gone five or more league games without a goal at any stage was a six-match run between December 1985 and February 1986.
Villa's own attacking numbers are a concern, ranking last in the Premier League for expected goals this season. They have also had fewer touches in the opposition's box than any other team except Hull. Emery is now able to call upon more of his summer signings after previously being without the majority. Only four of Villa's summer recruits have started a match so far: Zion Suzuki, Nicolas Jackson, Joao Gomes, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with no more than three starting together in any league game.
Despite the slow start, there is precedent for a recovery. Villa themselves failed to score in their opening four matches 12 months ago but went on to finish fourth and win the Europa League. Also, none of the other Premier League teams who failed to score in their opening four matches finished lower than 11th.
Tottenham showed signs of life in a midweek loss to Liverpool, registering 17 shots and an expected goals tally of 2.34, their highest against an English opponent since December 2024. Manager Roberto de Zerbi said his side have to find "La Scintilla (the spark) to kick-start their season and finally score some goals."
Villa have a strong recent record against Tottenham, winning seven of the past 10 meetings in all competitions. They have also been victorious on five of their past seven visits to Tottenham's stadium. The last meeting between the sides, in January, ended in a 1-2 away win for Villa.
Emery will be without several key players for the trip, including Pau Torres, Leon Goretzka, and summer signing Joao Gomes, who is among those currently sidelined. The full list of absentees is available on our injuries page.
A defeat for Villa would see them equal an unwanted club record of failing to win any of their first five matches in a top-flight season for the second season running. It would be only the fourth time in the club's history, after 1919-20 and 1964-65. The match kicks off at 12:30 BST on Saturday, with Villa looking to build on their 1-3 away win at Coventry in their last outing, where Tammy Abraham scored twice.
This story first appeared at sports.yahoo.com
