Opinion: Ange’s Surprising Choice as Key 100% Tottenham Star is Left Out Against Aston Villa

Tottenham will host Unai Emery’s Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, November 3rd.

After suffering a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on October 27th, Spurs rebounded with a solid 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup’s fourth round on October 30th at home.

This recent success should lift the team’s spirits heading into the crucial Villa clash, though Tottenham faces some injury setbacks.

Micky van de Ven remains sidelined for the match due to a “frustrating” injury setback.

However, Spurs have received positive news with the return of Son Heung-min to the starting lineup, as confirmed by the club’s official X account on November 3rd.

John Wenham previously predicted Son’s return in an exclusive interview with Tottenham News, bringing relief and excitement to Spurs fans.

Despite Son’s comeback, manager Ange Postecoglou has chosen once again to leave James Maddison out of the starting lineup, which may raise eyebrows among supporters.

Maddison, who didn’t play in the City game, was expected by some to return for Villa.

His absence may add to speculation that he is unsettled in North London.

In his last appearance against Palace, Maddison was substituted around the 60-minute mark, after a mixed performance that showed glimpses of quality but may have fallen short of Postecoglou’s standards.

According to Sofascore, Maddison completed 78% of his passes against Palace, including one key pass, and delivered all of his crosses accurately.

He also had two shots on target, successfully completed one of two dribbles, and missed a significant scoring chance.

Defensively, he won five out of nine ground duels and made two tackles, though he was dribbled past once.

Postecoglou’s decision to bench Maddison against Villa reflects his dissatisfaction with the previous display and suggests he is prioritizing players he trusts to execute his game plan.

The Australian manager will hope that his tactical choices against Villa prove effective.