Date: Tuesday, September 24 Venue: Villa Park Kick-Off: 19:45 Aston Villa will be without Christian Benteke and Gabby Agbonlahor as they play host to Tottenham Hotspur in the Capital One Cup tonight.
Team News
Paul Lambert will be without star-striker Christian Benteke tonight after the Belgian was forced off against Norwich at the weekend with a hip injury. That could mean a first start for Libor Kozak, with forward Gabby Agbonlahor joining Ashley Westwood, Antonio Luna and Ciaran Clark on the sidelines. Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas will use this game as an opportunity to rotate his squad, with new signing Vlad Chiriches set to make his debut. Jermain Defoe is a doubt with a groin strain. (BBC)
Key Stats
These two clubs have met four times in the League Cup, with Aston Villa winning on the last two occasions in 1987 and 1994. Spurs are unbeaten in their last five trips to Villa - all in the Premier League (W3, D2). They won 4-0 on their last visit on Boxing Day. The Villans have won this competition five times, latterly in 1996. The Lilywhites have won five of their last six third-round away fixtures in the League Cup, drawing the other and scoring 19 goals in the process.
Likely Line-Ups
Aston Villa Guzan, Lowton, Baker, Vlaar, Bennett, El Ahmady, Sylla, Delph, Albrighton, Kozak, Helenius. Tottenham Friedel, Naughton, Dawson, Vertonghen, Chiriches, Sandro, Holtby, Townsend, Lamela, Sigurdsson, Defoe. Now click "Next" for our Match Preview
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
