Aston Villa take on the visitors Tottenham in the 1/16-finals of English FA Cup. The match will be played on Sunday, February 9th at Villa Park (Birmingham).
Aston Villa undoubtedly hit the jackpot when they appointed Unai Emery in the autumn of 2022. He immediately lifted his new team to 7th place in the Premier League, despite taking over mid-season. The following year, after starting their Europa Conference League campaign from the qualifiers, they not only made a deep run in Europe but also edged out Tottenham to secure 4th place domestically. This season also started strong: they made an impressive debut in the Champions League and maintained their league position early on. However, the increased demands of competing on multiple fronts eventually took their toll, and in recent months, the Birmingham side has struggled across various competitions. They showed signs of revival in December, but consistency remains elusive—they lost to Monaco and managed only a home draw against West Ham. In the Champions League, they convincingly defeated Celtic, but then suffered a shocking 0-2 loss to relegation battlers Wolves. Despite the recent dip, Villa’s strong home form and European pedigree this season still make them formidable opponents at Villa Park.
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Tottenham continues to disappoint, but there are nuances. Tottenham let go of Harry Kane in 2023. Despite such a significant loss, under Ange Postecoglou, they nearly clinched 4th place—but ultimately, it was Aston Villa who edged them out by two points. Over the summer, they appeared to strengthen their squad by signing new center-forward Dominic Solanke. However, the reinforcements were insufficient, and the team has been plagued by constant personnel issues—from foolish suspensions to serious injuries. Regardless, the London giants have been underperforming, averaging just under a point per game. Recently, their form has been particularly poor, with losses piling up, including a shocking defeat to modest Leicester. At least they managed to beat Brentford in their latest league match. On the brighter side, they’ve had better success in other competitions. In the Europa League, everything has gone smoothly, including a win over Elfsborg. In the EFL Cup, they sequentially defeated both Manchester City and Manchester United. However, in the semi-final against Liverpool, after winning 1-0 at home in January, they were completely outclassed in the away leg, conceding four unanswered goals.
Although Aston Villa has generally been the stronger side recently, they lost both encounters against Tottenham in 2024. Notably, the London club scored four goals in each of those matches. Despite their challenges, the home side has more going in their favor. Back Aston Villa to secure the win at Villa Park.
Prediction for the match: Aston Villa to win.
