Aston Villa captain John McGinn has emphasised the importance of this afternoon’s fixture against Spurs, as the Villans battle Ange Postecouglou’s side for a fourth-place finish.
After facing a European challenge of great significance on Thursday evening, Aston Villa face another critical clash this afternoon at Villa Park.
Spurs are the next side to visit Birmingham, in what is poised to be a highly-contested fixture between the clubs that sit fourth and fifth in the Premier League table.
Villa have a slim advantage at present sitting five points ahead of the Lilywhites, who have a game in hand on Unai Emery’s side, adding to the spectacle that is shortly due to unfold at Villa Park.
What John McGinn said about the Aston Villa vs Spurs clash
Speaking to the media ahead of the fixture, relayed by BirminghamLive, Villa captain John McGinn set the tone, dubbing the matchup as one of the “most important” battles in the club’s recent history.
“Everyone knows how important the game is, it’s probably, in a league fixture, the most important game in the club’s recent history. So the players are aware of that.”
“The supporters will be right up for it and we need to remember that so will Tottenham.”
“They’re a really good team who we’ll fully respect. But we know at Villa Park we’re a force and hopefully, we can get three points.”
With the destiny still in Villa’s hands, the pressure is on the visitors to cause problems for Emery’s side, who will be well-trained ahead of the fixture by the boss, who has not yet lost a Premier League game against Spurs.
What the game against Spurs could mean for Aston Villa’s season
The skipper’s words of encouragement are accurate, shedding light on just how important the fixture could be for Villa as a club and for Emery’s squad in relation to their season.
A win against Spurs could put the Villans eight points clear in fourth place, making the weight of wanting to finish in the top four far lighter with ten games left to play in the 2023/24 campaign.
McGinn added that while the squad’s sights are firmly set on gaining entry to the Champions League, the baseline of their performances this term will be to ultimately show progression as a squad.
“Obviously we want to achieve something that the club haven’t achieved in a long, long time. Our focus from last year was to try to improve and be competitive, which we’ve done so far.”
After firing the squad from 15th to 7th last season, a win today could see Emery take a significant leap towards reinstating Villa as one of the top four teams in England.
