Remember the Premier League? Yeah, we’re finally back in action tonight for our first league game under the floodlights of 2011/12. Returning to White Hart Lane also happens to be significant for Alex McLeish, but that’s not something we wish to dwell on.

Truth is, coming back from North London with a point has generally been a decent result for us in the past, you’ll do well to find many Villa fans optimistic about grabbing something tonight. Football’s not always predictable – if it was, we wouldn’t watch – so you never know, maybe this is where we demonstrate a new found ability to grind something out.

Alan Hutton returns to his former employers and could have a point to prove. Darren Bent is also never short of motivation to do well on his return to the Lane. Jermaine Jenas is ineligible to play against his parent club. Gabby has been declared fit though.

With Harry Redknapp back on the touchline, here’s how the two managers are setting their sides out. The rumour ahead of kick off was that Hutton would be deployed as a right midfielder with Carlos Cuellar brought in at right back to combat the threat of Gareth Bale down that side. The team sheet would lend some credibility to that, but we’ll have to see how they’re actually deployed.

Castrol Football Prediction

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Last 10 results for this fixture: