Aston Villa may be two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand but they have scored 14 goals fewer than Spurs and their lack of a cutting edge may be factor. With Jermain Defoe starting to find the target once more Tottenham, who drew 1-1 at Villa Park in November, will expect to keep one of their rival contenders for a Champions League place at bay. Villa’s hopes of getting something this afternoon have been boosted by the return of John Carew to the squad following a knee injury. David Lacey

Venue White Hart Lane

Tickets £33-53 (0844 844 0102)

Last season Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2

Referee C Foy

This season’s matches 18 Y48, R2, 2.78 cards per game

Odds Tottenham 6-5 Aston Villa 11-4 Draw 12-5

Tottenham

Subs from Alnwick, Kaboul, Jenas, Fredericks, Bassong, Dervite, Rose, Parrett, Kranjcar, Gudjohnsen, Pavlyuchenko

Doubtful King (knee), Pavlyuchenko (groin)

Injured Assou-Ekotto (groin, 13 Feb), Lennon (groin, Mar), Woodgate (groin, Apr), Cudicini (wrists/pelvis, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide DWLWDW

Disciplinary record Y42 R1

Leading scorer Defoe 15

Aston Villa

Subs from Guzan, Delph, Sidwell, Beye, Carew, Davies, Delfouneso, Albrighton, Salifou, Heskey

Doubtful Albrighton (ankle), Carew (knee)

Injured Bouma (match fitness, 20 Feb), Warnock (shin, 21 Feb), Reo-Coker (ankle, May), Harewood (foot, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide WDDLLW

Disciplinary record Y43 R2

Leading scorer Agbonlahor 10

Match pointers

• Four of the last six Premier League meetings between these sides have ended with a 2-1 scoreline

• Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe have scored 28 goals between them in the 28 league games they have started together

• Aston Villa have failed to score once in their last 15 top-flight away games

• Tottenham have kept four home clean sheets in a row for the second time in Premier League history

• If all matches had finished at half-time this season, Aston Villa would be third

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