Villa win will be vital - Poyet

Assistant boss Gus Poyet has admitted Spurs must pick up a win over Aston Villa on Monday to kick-start their season.

Tottenham have suffered an indifferent start to the campaign as defeats against Middlesbrough and Sunderland was followed up by a creditable draw at Chelsea.

Three home games in succession begin with Villa after the international break on Monday before that's followed up by the UEFA Cup opener against Wisla Krakow and then a meeting with Wigan Athletic back in the league.

And Poyet admits the Villa game could be crucial as the club enter a key phase.

"The next two weeks will be great," Poyet said. "If you are a footballer, you have the chance to play every three days, including our first game in the UEFA Cup.

"It's so important to start with a win against Aston Villa on Monday for two reasons - one, we need to win our homes games and two, I'm sure if we started that way, we can build momentum, pick up points and progress in Europe."

He added on Spurs' website: "Villa could be the key game."