Dier's absence
Ryan Mason had a rather simple decision in terms of his Tottenham team following last weekend's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. Certainly not the prettiest of performances but one that got the job done, it made sense to keep faith with the same XI for the crucial game at Aston Villa.
There was one notable alteration on the bench, however, as Eric Dier missed out on the squad completely. Previously a regular in the Tottenham XI, the England international was left out of the side against the Eagles after some poor performances leading up to the game as Mason shuffled his pack in his quest to find his answer to Spurs' defensive woes.
