Aston Villa take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this afternoon as they look to bounce back from a couple of poor recent results.

After a stunning ten-game unbeaten run, Unai Emery’s side have lost their previous two matches, and three points against Spurs is crucial if they want to keep their slim hopes of securing European football alive.

Villa have a clean bill of health heading into the match, with Matty Cash available for selection after missing the previous eight games due to a calf issue.

Last week, Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara and Leon Bailey all made their returns off the bench against Wolverhampton Wanderers, which will give Emery a massive boost, and he may rejig his starting XI from that poor 1-0 defeat.

Here’s what Football FanCast is predicting…

How will Aston Villa line up against Tottenham Hotspur?

Emery will revert to a slightly different formation against Spurs, utilising a 4-4-1-1 while making one change from last week.

Emiliano Martinez will retain his place in goal, and having kept 13 clean sheets in 33 matches, he will be eyeing another few before the season comes to an end.

Despite Diego Carlos returning from his long-term injury last week, Emery will stick with Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings at the heart of the defence, with the pairing working wonders recently, conceding just five goals in their previous 12 games.

Ashley Young and Alex Moreno will keep their places on the right and left sides of the defence respectively.

The midfield area is where Emery will make his only change, dropping Bertrand Traore from the starting XI. This means John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey will operate on the flanks, while Douglas Luiz will be partnered with Kamara.

The £150k-per-week “phenomenon” – as lauded by his former teammate Rolando – will be hoping to have a big impact in what will be his first start since the 2-0 defeat of Chelsea at the beginning of April.

Emiliano Buendia was statistically Villa’s best performer against Wolves last week, and he will drop into an attacking-midfield slot, looking to create plenty of chances for Ollie Watkins, who will spearhead the attack.

The Englishman hasn’t scored in his previous four matches having netted 12 in 16 before that, and a return to form this afternoon could be excellent timing for Villa’s European push.

Predicted Aston Villa XI (4-4-1-1): Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; McGinn, Kamara, Luiz, Ramsey; Buendia; Watkins