"Very unconvincing" - Chris Sutton left puzzled while predicting winner of Tottenham Hotspur's clash with Aston Villa

Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has shared his prediction for Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League clash on January 1, 2023.

Spurs come into the home clash on the back of a disappointing 2-2 draw against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on December 26. While they came back from two goals down to take a point from the contest, it was a lethargic and error-laden performance.

Antonio Conte's side are currently fourth in the Premier League table, having won nine of their 16 games. Villa, meanwhile, are 12th with five wins from 16 games and come into the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the back of a 3-1 defeat at home to Liverpool.

Speaking about the clash between Spurs and Villa, Sutton was skeptical about what to expect from Conte's men. In his column for the BBC, he wrote:

"I just don't know what to expect from Tottenham. For a team that is fourth in the table, they are extremely inconsistent and very unconvincing at times. Which Spurs side will turn up here, why does their manager Antonio Conte always say they are tired and why do they go behind in games so often?"

He added:

"Aston Villa were well beaten by Liverpool in the end but they were pretty lively going forward. So, I have a sneaking feeling this will end up in a draw, although I suppose that is mostly because I have no idea what kind of performance we will see from Tottenham."

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Tottenham Hotspur need to pull up their socks to maintain Premier League top four position

Tottenham Hotspur had an excellent run in the second half of the 2021-22 season following Antonio Conte's appointment as manager. The Italian joined them when they were ninth and led them to a fourth-place finish.

However, the rails seem to have come off this season. They have looked rather unconvincing throughout the campaign and the defence has been laden with errors.

Spurs have conceded the first goal in nine consecutive matches, an abysmal record by their standards. While they have managed to pull off some brilliant comebacks during that time, it has certainly become a cause for worry.

After Aston Villa, Spurs face Crystal Palace away before hosting Portsmouth in the third round of the FA Cup. Following that, they will face the top two teams in the Premier League, Arsenal and Manchester City, in back-to-back matches