Premier League ‘farce’ emerges as Tottenham and Aston Villa talks now unreasonable
Tottenham face a new bump in the road as they look towards a possible UEFA Europa League final.
A place in the European showpiece seems on the horizon for the North London club after a 3-1 victory against Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of the semi-final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday (1 May).
Spurs failed to continue the momentum built during their Europa League win as Wilson Odobert’s first Premier League goal was not enough for three points in a 1-1 draw with West Ham on Sunday (4 May) – Jarrod Bowen’s equaliser proving enough to secure the Hammers a point at the London Stadium.
Now, with manager Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham future on the line, his side faces another barrier in their quest for a trophy this season.
Premier League remain in talks over Aston Villa v Tottenham date
Aston Villa have waved off Spurs’ attempts to reschedule the date and time of the two clubs’ Premier League clash at Villa Park, currently scheduled for 18 May.
Unai Emery’s side have already opposed Spurs’ request to bring the match forward three days to allow the Lilywhites more time to prepare for a possible Europa League final on 21 May.
However, the final decision remains in the hands of the Premier League, and according to Matt Law (5 May), discussions are still ongoing.
With the game less than two weeks away, general admission tickets have been on sale for over a week for a game without a confirmed date, with Law describing the ongoing situation as a “farce”.
Spurs’ struggles continue into the coming weeks
Recent history between Spurs and Villa indicates that Postecoglou’s side are going to have to be vigilant when the game is eventually played, with Tottenham winning just two of their last five confrontations.
Spurs are going to need all the help they can get, as James Maddison is not expected to play for Tottenham again this season after suffering a knee injury during the Europa League semi-finals.
| Recent head-to-head record | Wins | Draws | Defeats |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Aston Villa | 3 | 0 | 0 |
With Lucas Bergvall’s season also likely over after he sustained an ankle injury in training, this is less than ideal for a Spurs side whose season will be defined by the Europa League.
But with a two-goal advantage going into the second leg and Dominic Solanke’s imminent return, Spurs’ hopes of lifting the Europa League trophy may not be over just yet.