Villa and Tottenham meet at Spurs with both sides seeking first Premier League win

Aston Villa travel to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday lunchtime still looking for their first Premier League victory of the season. According to BBC Sport, both clubs sit in the bottom four of the early table despite significant summer investment, making the fixture a crucial opportunity for either side to spark their campaign.

Unai Emery has overseen a major rebuild at Villa Park, bringing in ten new players while parting company with six established figures. Among those who left during the window were Morgan Rogers, who joined Chelsea, and Ollie Watkins, who moved to Al Hilal. The head coach is now tasked with blending fresh arrivals with the remaining core of his squad while results remain elusive in the league.

The scale of change was evident again on Wednesday night when Villa beat Coventry City 3-1 in the League Cup. Rather than resting his most experienced players, Emery selected captain John McGinn and defender Tyrone Mings, relying on them to provide leadership as newer team-mates adapt to his methods. McGinn has previously described learning the Spaniard's tactical demands as doing "a lot of homework", a process that appears ongoing for several recent additions.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who arrived from West Ham United in August, is among those still finding his feet. BBC Sport suggests the right-back has found his opening three games difficult as he adjusts to a new system, a challenge shared by other signings who may be overthinking their roles on the pitch.

Emery acknowledged after last weekend's 2-1 home defeat by Nottingham Forest that he did not fully understand why his team lost control of the match. He also noted his limited ability to influence proceedings from the touchline while so many players are still settling into their positions. Nevertheless, the report states he remains confident the group will improve as understanding grows.

Saturday's match precedes a three-week gap in domestic fixtures, although Emery will not have his full squad available for training. Many players are expected to depart on international duty, limiting the time the coaching staff can spend drilling patterns of play on the grass. "This break is crazy because it's three weeks," Emery said. "I don't like to be three weeks but we must accept it."

For now, the focus is entirely on securing points at a ground where both teams desperately need a positive result. Villa won 3-2 at Club Brugge in the Champions League earlier this month, proving they can compete, but translating that form into the Premier League remains the immediate priority.