Tottenham Hotspur will look to protect the current longest unbeaten run in the Premier League when they host Aston Villa at White Hart Lane on Monday night.

Mauricio Pochettino's side currently occupy sixth spot in the table, while Villa are bottom following Tim Sherwood's sacking last weekend.

Spurs

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Pochettino will be preparing his side for their latest test knowing that the confidence is back in the squad after they returned to form in impressive style last weekend.

Trailing to an early Matt Ritchie strike, Spurs responded in emphatic fashion as Harry Kane led the way with a 5-1 victory at Dean Court to make it eight league games unbeaten since losing to Manchester United on the opening day of the season.

It was a victory which came after a disappointing run of four games without a win in all competitions, and just three days after Spurs slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Anderlecht in the Europa League.

Although the early stages of the season have been promising for this young squad, the win over Bournemouth suggested that everything had started to click as Pochettino's methods continue to improve the team.

Five draws in the league have prevented Spurs from being in an even better position after 10 games, with West Ham United currently sitting just three points better off in third.

However, the immediate future certainly looks bright after Kane got back to his best against the Cherries, and if he begins to replicate the form he showed last season, the unbeaten run could be extended.

No side has conceded fewer goals than Spurs this season, and as the attack continues to improve, Pochettino must surely be confident of putting the pressure on the sides in the top four.

Recent form: WWDDW
Recent form (all competitions): WDDDLW

Aston Villa

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A difficult job finally proved to be too tough for Tim Sherwood, who was sacked last weekend after his Villa side suffered a sixth successive league defeat by losing 2-1 to Swansea City.

Just a few months after leading the club away from the relegation zone and taking the team to the FA Cup final, it quickly became clear that the honeymoon period was over for Sherwood as he fought to convince his critics that he was the right man to improve fortunes on the pitch.

It is just another frustrating twist for the club's supporters, who already seem resigned to another long relegation battle after picking up just four points from the opening 10 games of the season.

Remi Garde quickly emerged as the favourite to replace Sherwood, but with the Frenchman's coaching staff currently contracted to Lyon, the Villa hierarchy still have work to do as they aim to appoint a new manager as soon as possible.

As a result, Kevin MacDonald will remain in charge of the side for Monday's game after watching the team lose 2-1 to Southampton in the League Cup in midweek.

In truth, the cup exit certainly would not have come as a big disappointment to fans desperate to see their side pull clear of the bottom three, but the tests do not got easier ahead of games against Spurs, Manchester City and Everton.

Recent form: LLLLLL
Recent form (all competitions): WLLLLL

Team News

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Ryan Mason returned from a knee injury to make an appearance as a substitute against Bournemouth last weekend, but despite being a regular in the lineup prior to his spell on the sidelines, the England international could struggle to keep Eric Dier or Dele Alli out of the side on Monday.

Son Heung-min and Nabil Bentaleb are still not ready to be involved, while Nacer Chadli is unlikely to be available until December.

Villa captain Micah Richards could be handed a suspension after admitting to a charge of improper conduct for clashing with Swansea's Federico Fernandez in the tunnel last weekend, and Ciaran Clark is likely to deputise should the Football Association make a decision before the game against Spurs.

Adama Traore is among the players pushing for a start in North London, but he could be battling Scott Sinclair for a spot in the side.

Spurs possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Dier, Alli; Lamela, Dembele, Eriksen; Kane

Villa possible starting lineup:
Guzan; Hutton, Lescott, Richards, Amavi; Westwood, Gueye; Sinclair, Grealish, Ayew; Gestede

Head To Head

Sherwood celebrated victory against his former side when Villa beat Spurs 1-0 in their last meeting in April thanks to a goal from Christian Benteke.

Spurs had gone 13 games unbeaten against Villa before that loss, with Kane scoring a 90th-minute winner in the reverse fixture last season.

Villa have won on just one of their last six visits to White Hart Lane, scoring just two in that stretch of games.

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Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:

We say: Spurs 2-0 Aston Villa

Spurs were clinical on the way to thrashing Bournemouth last weekend and they will be confident of continuing their fine run against the bottom club. Pochettino's side are proving to be a very difficult defence to break down on a regular basis, which spells trouble for a Villa side which has scored just nine league goals this season. MacDonald should get a response from the players as they await the appointment of a new manager, but Spurs are likely to be too strong.

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