It's not that I'm not bothered, it's that I'm supposed to be out in Soho eating and drinking and having fun, but instead I'm in the lounge at Heathrow until I get put on a flight and I'm three beers in and starting to get a little not bothered. And we have a match tomorrow that sort of doesn't really matter.
Yes, we're at that time of the season when nothing really matters and I don't think it's going to get better and I'm not sure that is a good sign.
We play Spurs tomorrow and they're looking very good and currently sitting second, behind Liverpool in the form table with five wins in the last six games. We have three wins and three losses and tomorrow we lose a win and if you've been following my train of thought on the corm table of late, you'll know that this is an important match, because we are a three win in form team.
By that, I think we are now a strong mid table side and a strong mid table side will always have three wins in the current form table. Less than three wins in the current form table and you're a side flirting with relegation or very much in the relegation zone. Look at Everton.
But let me put that into context. Spurs are not a top four side but they have the current form of a top four side with only one defeat in six and five wins. Tomorrow, they are going to lose a win and they are due a defeat. Having four wins in the current form table would put Spurs in the top 6 bracket and that is where they sit and that is why I'm going to have a bet with myself that we will win tomorrow.
In summary, Spurs are not as good as the form table suggests and we are better. But more on that tomorrow.
Competition time
So Luke has come good again with two tickets for the match against Norwich. I'm going to very politely suggest the next competition be about the clobber but we're very grateful and thanks Luke. So to be in with a chance of winning the tickets all you have to do is leave a message below with your prediction for the match tomorrow in the format of number-number with the hashtag #loveluke and that's it.
But just to be clear the message should just just like this (prediction, space and hashtag), with no other content:
4-0 #loveluke
If more than one of you get it right, the names will go into my virtual hat and I'll pick a winner and that written, I'm going to have another quick beer before I'm called for a flight. Have a nice Friday. See you tomorrow.
Match facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
- Tottenham have won 14 of their last 17 Premier League games against Aston Villa, including their last six at Villa Park.
- Aston Villa have won just two of their last 20 Premier League games against Spurs (D3, L15).
- Villa's last home league win against Tottenham was on New Year's Day in 2008.
Aston Villa
- Aston Villa have suffered three Premier League defeats in a row, having won the previous three games without conceding a goal.
- The Villans have lost all nine top-flight matches this season against teams that started the day in the top six of the table.
- Steven Gerrard has lost nine of his 19 matches in charge of Aston Villa (W7, D2). Eight of those defeats have been by a single goal, with the exception a 3-1 home loss to Chelsea.
- Philippe Coutinho has three goals and three assists in five Premier League appearances at Villa Park.
- Danny Ings has netted six goals in his last seven games against Spurs in all competitions.
Tottenham Hotspur
- Tottenham have won five of their last six Premier League fixtures (L1).
- Spurs have scored 21 goals in their last six top-flight games, something they last achieved between April and September 1965.
- Antonio Conte has won 39 points since he took charge of Spurs in November - only Liverpool and Manchester City, both with 50, have amassed more in that time.
- Harry Kane has scored seven times in nine top-flight matches against Villa, including in all three of his league appearances at Villa Park.
- Matt Doherty has been directly involved in six Premier League goals in 2022, with two goals and four assists.