Aston Villa v Tottenham result predicted by supercomputer
Tottenham face a daunting trip to Aston Villa ahead of their all-important Europa League final against Manchester United.
The contrast in the importance of this fixture between these two sides could not be more stark on Friday, with Unai Emery's team looking to go all out as they chase Champions League qualification.
Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou's main objective will be to use the Premier League game to optimise his squad's fitness ahead of their season-defining final in Bilbao on 21 May.
Spurs have come under intense scrutiny for throwing league games away, but with only five days separating this and the Europa League final, fans will not be holding out much hope at Villa.
Aston Villa clear favourites ahead of clash
Postecoglou's side were neck and neck with Villa this time last year, with Tottenham eventually finishing two points below the Midlands club in fifth.
12 months later, they are worlds apart, sitting 11 places below them in the Premier League and going into the game mainly hoping to avoid embarrassment.
| Team | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points | League Position |
| Tottenham | 11 | 5 | 20 | 38 | 17th |
| Aston Villa | 18 | 9 | 9 | 63 | 6th |
With Spurs' focus firmly on Europa League glory, the odds are stacked against them for this fixture.
Opta's supercomputer has given the North London side a meagre 15.9 per cent chance of victory, with even a draw seen as unlikely at just 17.5 per cent probability.
The Villans are clear favourites for the tie, backed at 66.6 per cent to secure the win and pile further woe on Postecoglou's men.
Postecoglou's priority will be player welfare
Dejan Kulusevski coming off injured in their last game, highlighted Spurs' need to get through the trip to Villa unscathed, both physically and mentally.
Further injuries, especially in the midfield area, which already has absentees in James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall, could leave Postecoglou shorthanded ahead of the season-defining fixture.
A harrowing defeat could also be costly to their confidence, although they have somehow managed to separate their desperate league form from their European exploits.