Notebook - Spurs vs Aston Villa

As we move into the new year, we kick-off with the visit of Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday (kick-off 2pm UK).

Ahead of the match, here’s all of its key points of note…

1 - Starting the year right

There’s surely no better way to kick-off the new year than by picking up three points – and we have quite the habit of doing just that over the last few years. Of our last eight outings on New Year's Day, we have taken victory seven times with the only exception being a 1-0 defeat away to Southampton in 2020.

Highlights: Watford 0-1 Spurs - New Year's Day 2021

2 - Strong against Villa

Over the last few years, we have also picked up quite the habit of getting victories against Aston Villa. Of our last 14 Premier League outings against Villa, we have won 12 of them (L2), which is as many we had enjoyed in our first 40 outings against them in the competition.

3 – Hitting the target

Our strength against the Villans can also be seen in the goals we have scored against them. In our last 18 outings against Villa, we have found the back of the net in 17 of them, scoring 40 goals across that spell.

3 - Villa’s N17 triumphs

Despite our strong run against Aston Villa in the competition, it must be noted that we have lost twice against them in that period – and both of them have come in N17. The first of those victories (1-0) came at White Hart Lane in April, 2015, while the second (2-1) occurred in May, 2021. It should be said though, those wins are Villa’s only triumphs on their travels to north London in their last 21 attempts (D3 L16).

Last time out against Villa: Aston Villa 0-4 Spurs - April, 2022

4 - Villans in London

It is not just in the north of the capital that Aston Villa have struggled though in recent times. In their last five trips to London in the Premier League, Villa have lost each of them, conceding twice each time. They have not kept a clean sheet in the capital in 13 attempts, last doing so in a 3-0 win over Arsenal in November, 2020.

5 - Out of the Villa

In fact, looking at Villa’s form away from home in general, it has been a frustrating period for the West Midlanders. Of their last nine matches on the road, the men in claret and blue have won just once (D2 L6), however that sole victory was in their last such game – a 2-1 win at Brighton. They haven’t won consecutive away games since March.

6 - Kane’s flying

Harry Kane is enjoying a fine, fine season in front of goal. So far this campaign, our number 10 has 13 goals to his name, and that includes a strike last time out in our draw with Brentford – a record 10^th Boxing Day goal for the forward. On New Year’s Day, no player has scored more goals than him (five).

7 – Ahead of the game

Harry is also flying in terms of headed goals. His effort against Brentford on Boxing Day was his sixth headed goal of the season – the most of any player in the competition and his joint most for a single campaign (six in 2017/18). He has 36 headed goals in the Premier League to date which is the joint sixth most in the competition’s history.