Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp looks set to return to the dugout for his side’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Monday, with the Londoners hoping to extend their unbeaten league run to nine games.
Redknapp has been absent for the past three weeks following minor heart surgery but that hasn’t stopped his team from picking up points. They have won seven of their last eight in the league, meaning they have made their best start since 1990.
With memories of last season’s Champions League adventure still fresh in the mind, Tottenham are desperate for a return to Europe’s premier competition.
They currently sit in fifth place, on the cusp of that magical fourth spot, but with six points separating Newcastle in third and Liverpool in seventh, competition for the Champions League places is set to be intense.
Villa boss Alex McLeish, meanwhile, will be quietly satisfied with his start to life in the Villa Park hot seat. The Scot knew he needed a decent start following his controversial move from city rivals Birmingham over the summer, so eighth place after 11 games represents a respectable opening.
However, the trip to White Hart Lane – a ground where they have won just once in ten years – sees the start of a tough run of fixtures from now until Christmas. Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all lie on the horizon, meaning those early season points could prove more valuable than first thought.
Tottenham will be hoping that Rafael van der Vaart will recover from a hamstring injury in time to play. The Dutchman has scored six goals in his last six games and is understandably 4/1 joint favourite to net first. If van der Vaart doesn’t make it then Jermain Defoe may get a rare start. Defoe has hit three goals in Tottenham’s last four home games against Villa and is 9/2 to do so again.
Unsurprisingly, with their dazzling array for forwards, goalscoring has not been a problem for Redknapp’s men. They have hit 20 goals in their past eight league games – so over 2.5 goals at 8/13 looks a good option while four or more goals is priced at 7/4.
Villa meanwhile will again be relying on Darren Bent and Gabriel Agbonlahor to supply them with goals. Former Sunderland hit man Bent – now an England regular – has five goals this season and has scored four in six league matches against Spurs. Agbonlahor also has five goals and earned recall to Fabio Capello’s squad for last week’s friendly double header with Spain and Sweden, only for a hamstring injury forcing him to pull out. Villa will hope he has recovered in time for Monday. Bent is priced at 15/2 to score first, while strike partner Agbonlahor is 10/1.
Despite being unbeaten against London clubs in 2011, Villa have yet to win away this season and their price of 6/1 reflects this. The draw is priced at 3/1, with a Tottenham victory 8/15. Value bets may be found in Spurs scorecasts, with Tottenham 2-1 Aston Villa priced at 18/1.
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