Could this one be billed as a ‘must-win’ for both? We think so after the start to the English Premier League.

A result could mean more than three points to Tottenham and Aston Villa. It could be a chance for each to kick start their seasons into life. Despite still being very early into the campaign, these two have struggled massively so far.

Still, they’ll have a chance to get things going positively when they meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, September 19, with KO at 21:30 AEST. But which of the strugglers will be smiling after the final whistle?

Quick Picks

Our pick: Aston Villa to win

Value bet: Under 2.5 Goals

Long shot: Aston Villa 2-1

Betting Preview

Roberto De Zerbi’s side haven’t been able to replicate the form and performances they produced toward the back end of last season, which saw them just about cling onto their EPL status on the final day. Instead, they’ve returned to how they were playing before the Italian arrived.

In their first four Premier League games, Spurs have failed to score a goal (only Coventry have matched this). They have had two draws and suffered two defeats, but in all honesty haven’t looked likely to record all three points in any of their games so far.

Still, it could be argued that things are starting to click, with the team picking up points in their last two games with consecutive 0-0 draws (Nottingham Forest away and Everton at home).

For Aston Villa, it was always going to be tough. Unai Emery essentially has a new spine to his team after they lost numerous stars in the transfer window. Time will be needed for the club after an impressive season last time out in which they qualified for the Champions League.

However, many may have found it difficult to predict just how much the Villains would struggle.

Like Tottenham, they are also winless in their first four games, sitting second-from-bottom with one point. The draw came against Hull (0-0), but they’ve had defeats to Brighton (4-0), Arsenal (1-0) and Nottingham Forest (2-1) as well.

Betting Markets to Watch

Spurs have been made favourites to win this encounter, perhaps due to a slight upturn in form and the fact that they are the home team. However, that could pile further pressure on them, especially as they have yet to find the net in this competition and head into the match fresh from a confidence sapping 3-1 defeat in the Carabao Cup to Liverpool.

The previous meeting here ended 2-1 in favour of the visitors, although Spurs hold a 4-1 victory from two years ago. Still, Aston Villa has won three of its last four EPL away matches against Tottenham, which is why there’s value in backing them in our opinion.

While the 'Over 2.5 Goals' market has hit in each of Aston Villa's last four EPL day matches, we think this one has better value in the ‘ Under ’. Neither side has a prolific attack, and goals have been in short supply.

The 'Both Teams to Score' market has hit in seven of Tottenham's last eight EPL home matches against Aston Villa, but we think there’s a good chance it doesn’t hit in this one.

Our Prediction

Check the latest Tottenham vs Aston Villa betting odds at Sportsbet.

We think an Aston Villa win is the most likely outcome.

An interesting trend over the last two EPL meetings has been for the away side to win 2-1 . We don’t think it’s likely to happen this time due to all the changes and struggles, but it’s worth a long shot.