O'Neill wary of rivals' threat

Martin O'Neill has singled out Tottenham as Aston Villa's biggest threat to breaking the top-four monopoly this season.

The two sides meet at Villa Park in a mouth-watering clash on Saturday with Tottenham lying in fourth place and Villa just one position behind them in the table.

O'Neill spent the large part of the summer rebuilding his squad but is optimistic about his side's chances this season but Tottenham underlined their potential with their 9-1 humiliation of Wigan last weekend.

The Villa boss told the Mirror: "Tottenham are very strong. They have a chance to challenge that top four because they have the wherewithal to do it. But we will throw absolutely everything at it.

"It will be a tough ask this season again but it's our aim. That's what we want to do as we'd love to be playing Champions League football eventually.

"I am hoping we can hang in and get a few results so supporters stay with us, thinking something may happen.

"But the fact is the top four have been the top four because they have been the four best sides through the course of the season.

"Teams can have little runs at it but Everton are the only team to have broken it in the last six years.

"I just think from our point of view, consistency over a lengthy period of the season is vital."