Following their contrasting performances in the EFL Cup, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are gearing up for a Premier League showdown.

Rewind to mid-September, when Tottenham Hotspur's Ange Postecoglou, after a tough loss to Arsenal in the North London derby, confidently declared that he "always" wins trophies in his second year at a club—a claim that historical evidence supports.

Tottenham struggled in their recent match against a previously winless Crystal Palace, suffering a 1-0 defeat that left them in eighth place. Jean-Philippe Mateta's goal marked Palace’s first win of the season, and Spurs now find themselves five points behind their fourth-placed opponents.

Despite this setback, Spurs have found success at home, achieving five consecutive victories in all competitions, having previously triumphed against AZ Alkmaar, Qarabag, Brentford, and West Ham.

On the other side, Aston Villa’s manager Unai Emery, whose ties to Arsenal might not earn him a warm reception at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, can relate to Postecoglou's frustrations with Crystal Palace. Villa faced a similar fate at home, as Palace secured a spot in the EFL Cup quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory, even without their star players, Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton.

October hasn’t been kind to the Lions, who were also held to a last-minute equalizer against Bournemouth, leaving them just outside the top three. Yet, Emery’s team remains strong, unbeaten in their last seven Premier League matches and boasting a solid away record of five wins and one draw in six matches across all competitions.