Tottenham Hotspur finally got back in the win column, but their Premier League survival story is far from written. A narrow victory over last-place Wolves kept the dream alive, yet the hard work has only just begun.
Sitting two points behind West Ham with just four matches remaining, Spurs find themselves in a precarious position. Even the once-reliable 40-point safety mark looks shaky this season. To reach that threshold, Tottenham would need a 2-1-1 finish—a tall order with a trip to Stamford Bridge still on the schedule. Realistically, that means picking up points in every other match.
Sunday’s clash at Aston Villa presents perhaps the toughest remaining challenge on paper. Villa sits joint-fourth in the table, though Unai Emery's side has shown vulnerability lately, winning just two of their last eight league fixtures. Both victories came at home, however, so Villa Park remains a fortress. Tottenham enters as underdogs, but in a relegation scrap, points must be earned wherever they can be found.
Match Details:
Date: Sunday, May 3
Time: 2:00 pm ET / 7:00 pm UK
Location: Villa Park, Birmingham
TV: USA Network (US), TNT Sports 1 (UK)
Table Position: Spurs (18th, 34 pts), Villa (T-4th, 58 pts)
The recent head-to-head history doesn't favor Spurs. After a convincing 4-1 win in November 2024—following an impressive 4-0 thrashing the previous March—Tottenham has since lost four straight meetings, including FA Cup exits in consecutive seasons. In the reverse league fixture, Rodrigo Bentancur scored within five minutes, but Villa rallied for a 2-1 comeback victory in North London.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi's first three matches have yet to spark the attacking fluidity fans hoped for. With just three goals scored and an average expected goals (xG) below 1.0, serious questions remain about Tottenham's ability to find the net consistently. Even if the defense shows signs of improvement—which itself seems optimistic—scoring enough to avoid relegation is becoming a genuine concern.
There is a glimmer of hope, though. Aston Villa's defense has been surprisingly porous this season, sitting alongside Spurs in expected goals against (xGA) despite allowing the sixth-fewest actual goals. Three of the last six league opponents have scored at least three times against Villa, suggesting opportunities could be there for Tottenham's attack—if they can find their finishing touch.