Ange Postecoglou has expressed his belief that Sunday's visitors, Aston Villa, deserve to be in the Champions League rather than Tottenham Hotspur, but he aims to overcome them this time around. Both Spurs and Villa were competing for a top-four finish during the 2023-24 campaign, with the Midlands club securing the coveted fourth spot by a narrow two-point margin.
While fifth place could have led to Champions League qualification if English clubs had performed well in European competitions, the situation unfolded differently. Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham, and Brighton all reached only the quarter-finals, while Villa exited the UEFA Europa Conference League in the semi-finals. Consequently, Tottenham settled for a place in the Europa League, while Villa hosted and triumphed over Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Postecoglou dismissed the notion that it bothers him to see Villa competing with Europe’s elite, instead focusing on narrowing the current five-point gap to Unai Emery’s side. "If English teams had only done better in Europe last year. Jeez, woe is me," Postecoglou remarked with a smile. "Nah, I think they got what they deserved. We got what we deserved. We're playing where we're playing. They're playing where they're playing. We'll just try and get on top of them this year."
The match promises to be a thrilling encounter, with Postecoglou acknowledging the energy that the Tottenham supporters could bring. "It’s a great challenge, but it’s at home. We want to continue to be strong at home and need to make sure our league form is more consistent."
In their recent outing, Spurs achieved a 2-1 victory against Manchester City in a thrilling Carabao Cup match, which showcased the strong support from their fans at a near sell-out crowd of 60,797. This result marked Tottenham's sixth home win in all competitions this season. While Spurs have encountered challenges in their last two away games, Postecoglou expressed satisfaction with their home form, highlighting the influence of the supporters on the team's performance.
“It’s been strong and it has to be. The supporters play a big part in that,” he added. “If they can generate that energy in the stadium, the players feed off it, and it makes oppositions uncomfortable.”
On the personal side, Villa boss Unai Emery will celebrate his 53rd birthday on Sunday, to which Postecoglou quipped, “Miserable day for him, I hope! I'm the oldest in the comp mate, so I'm not going to mention birthdays."
This anticipation for the upcoming clash reflects the competitive spirit as both teams strive for success in the ongoing 2024/2025 season. (Source: Yahoo! Sport)