Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has described the upcoming Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur as a significant test for his team as they seek their first league victory of the season. The two sides meet in North London on Sunday, with both clubs having struggled for points early in the campaign—Villa have secured just one point from four games, while Spurs sit marginally ahead with two.
Emery acknowledged Tottenham’s potential and the challenge they pose, praising the club’s summer signings and the progress under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi. “Their potential is huge,” Emery said, noting that Tottenham are improving despite a recent Carabao Cup loss to Liverpool. He also complimented De Zerbi’s managerial style, predicting that the Italian’s influence will soon bear fruit, and expects Spurs to finish in the Premier League’s top four this season.
The Villa manager emphasised the need for his squad to respond with a compact structure and confidence on the pitch. “Tomorrow is a huge challenge for us—how we are going to play in our structure, being compact and feeling confidence to play,” Emery said ahead of the lunchtime kickoff.
Villa will be without key defender Pau Torres, who sustained a hamstring injury during their 2-1 home defeat to Nottingham Forest last weekend. Emery downplayed concerns over Torres’ absence, highlighting the depth of his defensive options and drawing on recent experiences when other important players were missing. He referred to Tyrone Mings, another central defender, as a player who can assume responsibility when Torres is unavailable.
“When Tyrone Mings is not here, you ask for Tyrone,” Emery commented. “And when Pau Torres is not here, you ask about Pau Torres. But we have still performed without Pau or Tyrone. The structure is the most important thing.”
Emery emphasized that while Torres brings particular qualities to Villa’s build-up play, Mings possesses different strengths that allow the team to maintain their style and competitiveness. He cited previous spells when Villa managed effectively without either player, recalling the period last season when the club played a key role in their push to qualify for the Conference League and ultimately finished fourth in the league.
Currently, Villa’s defensive options include Mings, Victor Lindelof, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, and Torres, offering Emery flexibility despite injury setbacks. The manager remains confident that the squad can meet the demands of facing a strong Tottenham side and deliver a performance capable of securing their first league win of the new season.