Overview
Thomas Frank has never had much success against Unai Emery in the past, but the clash between Tottenham and Aston Villa this weekend gives him the opportunity to change that.
Spurs are currently third in the Premier League table after 7 rounds. However, defeating Emery is not an easy task for Frank as he has never tasteed a victory against the Spanish strategist in the Premier League.
In the previous five encounters between the two coaches, all of which were under Frank at Brentford, the result was a draw and a loss. This is also the opponent that Frank has met the most in the Premier League without winning once.
Statistics also show that Frank has only won one of his eight meetings with Aston Villa - his lowest win percentage against any other team in the competition (12.5%).
On the other hand, Emery have lost just two of their nine Premier League games against Tottenham (W5 D2). Only Fulham (6 times) have beaten his teams more than Tottenham (4 times).
The challenge for Frank has become even more difficult as Aston Villa are regaining their impressive form ahead of the trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
Emery's side have won four consecutive games ahead of the international break, including wins over Burnley and Fulham in the domestic league, along with Feyenoord and Bologna in the Europa League.
After a shaky start to the season - not winning in the opening 5 matches (3 draws, 2 losses) - Villa has come back strongly with 2 consecutive wins. Since the start of March, only Manchester City (11 games) have had more Premier League wins than them (10).
However, Tottenham and Frank do not need to worry too much about this challenge, especially when their attacking style of play is operating effectively. Spurs have scored 13 goals (including an own goal) from an expected goals (xG) of just 7.5 - the highest tally (+5.5). Their shot conversion rate reached 16.9%, only behind Man City (17.4%).
Tottenham's 13 goals came from 8 different players - an achievement only behind Arsenal and Brighton (both with 9 goalscorers) after 7 rounds.
Mohammed Kudus, Spurs' last scorer, has made a strong impression in his first season after moving from West Ham. The Ghana international has made 30 successful dribbles in the Premier League this season - more than any other player, with the one behind him reaching just 20.
Since entering the tournament, Kudus have had 246 successful dribbles after 72 appearances. According to Opta statistics (since the 2006-2007 season), only Allan Saint-Maximin has achieved a better number than him in the same period - 250 dribbles in the first 58 Premier League matches.
Spurs have also significantly improved their ability in set-pieces under Frank - a factor that could play a key role when they face upcoming opponents.
On the other hand, Aston Villa are one of the teams that have taken advantage of the dead ball most effectively in the Premier League this season. 1/4 (25%) of Villa's total shots come from corners (19/76) - only behind West Ham (26%) in the entire league.
In fact, only Arsenal (26) and Chelsea (22) have had more shots from corners than Emery's side (19).
Head-to-head record
none of Tottenham's last 20 Premier League meetings with Aston Villa have ended in a draw. In this series, Spurs have won 14 matches, while Villa have won 6, since a 1-1 draw in May 2012.
Only two matches in the history of the tournament have had a longer streak of draws. They are Newcastle - Spurs (21 consecutive matches from August 1999 to December 2010) and Chelsea - Crystal Palace (26 matches from September 1997 to February 2024).
Notably, Villa have won four of their last six Premier League games against Spurs (losing 2). This is equal to the total number of wins they have had in the previous 29 encounters (7 draws, 18 losses).
Score prediction: Tottenham 1-0 Aston Villa
The match between Tottenham and Aston Villa takes place at 20:00 on October 19 (Vietnam time).
