Paul Merson has described Tottenham’s meeting with Aston Villa on Saturday as a potential momentum swinger, with both sides still searching for their first Premier League win of the season.
Tottenham are also yet to score in the league, despite showing promising spells in their goalless match against Everton. Merson believes the lack of a breakthrough is deepening concerns over the team’s confidence.
Tottenham v Aston Villa could change the momentum
“The first 15, 20 minutes I thought they were outstanding,” Merson said of Tottenham’s performance against Everton. “I thought the way they passed it, moved it, it caused problems for Everton. But they didn’t get that goal.”
He added: “And when they don’t get that goal, then that mindset sets in again. I think they’d still be playing now [without scoring], wouldn’t they? That is the problem. They need to score early.”
Merson said confidence was central to Tottenham’s difficulties, arguing that belief can have a decisive influence at every level of the game.
“I say any footballer, I don’t care if you’re under-10s or professional, if you can bottle one thing, it’s confidence,” he said. “And at the moment, they just haven’t got that confidence and the belief.”
Aston Villa also endured a frustrating result against Nottingham Forest, dominating the match without finding the net. However, Merson rejected the suggestion that Villa are genuine relegation contenders.
“They’ve got too many good players, and they’ve got one of the best managers in the business,” he said. “They’re just having a little bit of a time at the moment.”
Merson believes the meeting at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium offers both teams an opportunity to alter the direction of their seasons before the international break.
“I do think this is a big game this weekend,” he said. “It’s a huge game. Down at the bottom, if you’re down there, you’re down there.”
“I don’t worry about Tottenham or Villa, but I think it’s a big game for both teams because it’s a momentum swinger,” Merson added. “You win it, then you can kick on after the international break. It’s a big football match.”
