There is no denying that Spurs have been in great form recently, but it is certainly a game that can be won by Villa. It will depend largely on McLeish's midfield choices, but if Dunne and Collins can keep Van Der Vaart and Modric in check then Villa have a decent chance of keeping them out of the net.
This would be a good game for Ireland to shine with some inch-perfect passes into Bent and Gabby. It would also be a good move to play Albrighton to match pace on the wings and give some real counter-attacking possibilities. Albrighton needs a confidence booster, because Villa need him to be on last season's form.
The only real cause for concern is the Bale / Hutton battle, if that is indeed how the formation turns out. Hutton has been less than convincing so far, especially against pace and skill. His clumsy tackle on Shane Long and his torrid time against Shaun Wright-Phillips in particular prove that. Spurs offloaded Hutton, and they will no doubt look to exploit his position. If Bale gets in behind him, Villa could get punished.
Villa have the players to match spurs, and if their midfield is kept in line then there is no reason why Villa can't win later on tonight.
UTV!
(Follow me on Twitter @MattLeCameron).