Both clubs enter the fixture seeking their first league win of the campaign, with Tottenham making several lineup adjustments following a slow start.
Lineup Changes and Tactical Adjustments for Tottenham
Tottenham playmaker James Maddison comes into consideration for a starting role in North London following back-to-back substitute appearances in the top flight and EFL Cup after recovering from a shoulder problem. Gallagher previously headed home Tottenham’s first goal against top-flight opposition this season during the 3-1 loss to Liverpool on Tuesday, but Maddison’s absence has been sorely felt by a Spurs side that netted zero goals in their first four top-flight matches of the campaign.
Sandro Tonali starts his fifth consecutive Premier League game for Tottenham in the double pivot alongside Mateus Fernandes after missing the midweek contest owing to a knock. Tonali is part of Roberto Mancini’s 34-man Italy squad that will play Nations League games against Turkey, France, and Belgium during the upcoming two-week break. Meanwhile, Tottenham has another Italian player on the bench in Destiny Udogie, who, by contrast, will not be part of the Italy squad.
Defensive Shuffles and Aston Villa’s Starting Setup
Pedro Porro returns to the starting lineup following a muscular problem, ending Archie Gray’s brief stint in the first XI. Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson, and Antonin Kinsky also take their places in the defensive setup ahead of the lunchtime kickoff.
On the opposing side, Unai Emery deploys former Atletico Madrid and Atalanta defender Matteo Ruggeri for his first Premier League start with Aston Villa. The 23-year-old Ruggeri was only called up once by Italy in 2025, but hasn’t yet made his debut and won’t be part of the upcoming Italy squad, much like Udogie. Villa enters the match with one point from its opening four Premier League games, while Tottenham has only collected two points in the opening four league games of the campaign and hasn’t yet scored a goal in the Premier League.
Confirmed Matchday Squads
Both managers finalized their matchday selections ahead of the 13:30 CET [12:30 BST] start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Tottenham’s attack features Dominic Solanke, Savio, and Omar Marmoush, the latter operating from a left-wing role in place of Mathys Tel after almost scoring from such a position on Tuesday when only a strong save from Giorgi Mamardashvili denied him.
| Team | Starting Lineup | Notable Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| Tottenham Hotspur | Kinsky, Robertson, van Hecke, Tonali, Savio, Fernandes, Solanke, Marmoush, Pedro Porro, Bentancur, van de Ven | Dubravka, Tosin, Senesi, Gallagher, Maddison, Udogie, Gray, Bergvall, Kudus |
| Aston Villa | Suzuki, Lindelof, Mings, McGinn (c), Kamara, Buendia, Jackson, Ruggeri, Wan-Bissaka, Gomes, Manzambi | Wright, Cash, Harwood-Bellis, Barkley, Garnacho, Abraham, Mbaye, Bogarde, Hemmings |
Squad Conditioning and Player Availability
Team management monitored several returning players closely ahead of the fixture. Squad availability required careful evaluation of physical readiness across multiple positions following recent matches.
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Additional attention focused on squad integration following recent injury recoveries and busy match schedules.
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