Aston Villa have the opportunity to move above their opponents in the Premier League table as they travel away to face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The Villans are currently one point behind their upcoming hosts and could end the weekend in the top four of the division with a victory over Spurs.
Unai Emery's side head into the match off the back of a 3-1 win over Fulham, thanks to an own goal from Antonee Robinson and goals from John McGinn and Ollie Watkins, and will be looking for another three points.
However, that victory does not have to mean that the Spanish head coach will name an unchanged XI for this match. Here is our predicted Villa XI to take on Spurs in London on Sunday…
1 Emiliano Martinez
Starting off between the sticks, the Argentina number one – Emiliano Martinez – should start as he has already started 11 of the club's 12 Premier League games so far.
The 31-year-old titan will be hoping to add to his return of two top-flight clean sheets as the World Cup winner has found it difficult to keep shutouts despite the side's impressive form.
2 Matty Cash
At right-back, Matty Cash could continue in defence as he is the only senior natural right-back at the club since the departure of Ashley Young to Everton over the summer.
The Poland international made two interceptions and two clearances whilst recording the highest Sofascore rating (7.0) across the Villa back four against Fulham.
3 Ezri Konsa
At the heart of the defence, Ezri Konsa could line up at centre-back as the English colossus has started 12 top-flight matches during the 2023/24 campaign.
The former Brentford star has won an outstanding 74% of his duels, including 80% of them on the deck, across those matches as he has displayed his physical dominance against the opposition.
4 Pau Torres
Signed from Villarreal over the summer, Pau Torres could retain his position in the team and partner Konsa in the central defensive positions for the Villans.
The Spain international currently ranks within the top 13% of Premier League centre-backs for progressive carries (1.54) and progressive passes (5.74) per 90 this season, which highlights how impressive he has been at playing out from the back to start attacks for the team.
5 Alex Moreno
The first change could come at left-back as Alex Moreno could come in to make his first appearance of the season, having missed the start of the campaign due to injury.
He managed three assists and 1.6 tackles and interceptions per game across 19 Premier League outings last term, whilst Lucas Digne has assisted two goals in 12 top-flight clashes this season.
It would not be a surprise to see the Frenchman keep his place at left-back but Emery brought Moreno in as one of his first signings in January and relied on him with 14 starts during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.
This suggests that the Spaniard trusts him to perform and that could be why he is selected from the start to deal with the likes of Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski on the left side.
6 Boubacar Kamara
In midfield, Boubacar Kamara could keep his place as the French talent has been a solid performer in the middle of the park with his defensive presence.
The former Marseille star has produced 3.1 tackles and interceptions and made 4.8 ball recoveries per match across 12 league starts for the Villans.
7 Douglas Luiz
Next to Kamara, it would be no surprise to see the club's brilliant Brazilian maestro Douglas Luiz continue to shine in midfield after his fantastic start to the season.
The former Manchester City man has provided five goals and one assist in 12 league starts for Emery's side, to go along with 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game.
8 John McGinn
The Villa skipper should retain his position in midfield as the team's leader and a player who has the ability to chip in with contributions at the top end of the pitch.
He has scored three goals and provided two assists in 12 Premier League starts so far and could add to his tally against Spurs on Sunday.
9 Nicolo Zaniolo
The second change to the XI could be Nicolo Zaniolo starting ahead of Youri Tielemans in one of the attacking midfield positions to add some extra athleticism to the side against an energetic and high-intensity Tottenham team.
Galatasaray's loanee has made 0.2 more ball recoveries (2.2) and won 1.6 more duels (3.2) than the Belgian midfielder in the Premier League this season, and could, therefore, provide more to Villa out of possession to contain Ange Postecoglou's team.
This could then allow the other attacking players to thrive at the top end of the pitch by having Zaniolo in the XI to force turnovers and win physical battles.
10 Leon Bailey
The third and final change to the XI could be Leon Bailey coming in for Moussa Diaby to play alongside Ollie Watkins at the top end of the pitch.
Villa's French starlet did not enjoy his best afternoon against Fulham last time out as he struggled in front of goal with two 'big chances' missed in 62 minutes on the pitch.
He also only created one chance for his teammates and lost 75% of his duels during the game before being replaced by Bailey, who provided two key passes, created one 'big chance', and registered an assist in 28 minutes of action.
The former Bayer Leverkusen star, who was once dubbed "electric" by journalist Matt Maher, has plundered three goals and three assists in the Premier League so far this season and could be unleashed from the start ahead of Diaby after his impressive cameo against the Cottagers.