Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli is shoved to the floor by Carlos Sanchez, but Spurs cannot make the set-piece count.

Image source, Reuters

Jon Evans: Guzan should save that. Whilst Clark's error was key, any decent keeper should stop that. Straight at him. His form is poor!  

Matthew Bevis: You could tell Mike Dean was proper chuffed with himself for that advantage there they way he ran off after the goal!

Mike Dean allowed Mousa Dembele to carry on despite Ciaran Clark doing his best to wrestle the Spurs man to the ground.

Aston Villa are still on the backfoot. Jan Vertonghen pops up in the Spurs attack but Joleon Lescott manages to clear the danger with his head. Villa break briefly through Kieran Richardson down the left, but cannot fashion a chance.

White Hart Lane is a cauldron of noise as the home side pile forward. Aston Villa look spooked - perhaps it is a Hallowe'en hangover. All Spurs as they go for the jugular. Villa can't get out of their own half...

Danny Mills
BBC Radio 5 live at White Hart Lane

"Simply poor defending, it's Ciaran Clark, he just gets pushed out of the way by Mousa Dembele, who is not particularly quick. Brad Guzan possibly should do better. Individual errors, really. I bet Remi Garde wishes he was still in traffic!"

Image source, Getty Images

Spurs on the front foot quite quickly, forcing Villa centre-back Joleon Lescott to kick into touch. But they cannot make anything of the throw-in, away keeper Brad Guzan clearing with his feet. Routine start.

Spurs to kick off. Ref Mike Dean toots his whistle for the first time this evening and that, unless I'm very much mistaken, means it is game on.

Quick reminder of the two teams? Go on then....

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose, Dier, Alli, Lamela, Dembele, Eriksen, Kane. Subs: Mason, Vorm, Trippier, Townsend, Fazio, Onomah, Davies. 

Aston Villa: Guzan, Hutton, Clark, Lescott, Richardson, Sanchez, Westwood, Bacuna, Grealish, Sinclair, Agbonlahor. Subs: Veretout, Ayew, Amavi, Gil, Bunn, Crespo, Gestede. 

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)

If I could use a 'clapping hands' emoji right now I would. Sensational fact.

Image source, Getty Images

Remi Garde is in the house! The new Villa boss takes his seat in the White Hart Lane stand. Arms folded, stern expression, then an inquisitive look along his row. Hope he's got a notepad and pen to make a few notes.

The teams are out. Time for you to make a quick brew before kick-off...

Conor McNamara
BBC MOTD commentator

"Neither Tottenham nor Aston Villa gave Tim Sherwood a full season to prove his worth. He had exactly 28 games at both clubs before each gave him the bullet.

"His influence still lingers over this fixture though. Harry Kane and Jack Grealish were given their first starts in the Premier League under Sherwood's tutelage. Those young guns alone weren't able to keep him in employment.

"With Remi Garde ready to roll up his sleeves, Villa need fresh ammunition for the tough winter months ahead.

"Ultimately Sherwood, in his trademark gilet, proved to be a couple of sleeves short of the full metal jacket."

Former Aston Villa and Lyon boss Gerard Houllier on Remi Garde: "The good thing is that he was a TV pundit in France for the Premier League and as he played in the Premier League himself. He was always following the news on the players there. At the moment, let's not dream, I would say escaping relegation would be as good for winning the title."     

Football often throws up quirks - and here's another. Harry Kane had scored a hatful of goals for Spurs in the Europa League last season, but did not net in the Premier League until the early part of the winter. On 2 November to be precise. On 2 November against Aston Villa.

Kane calls that the "defining moment" of his breakthrough season. Deja vu for Aston Villa tonight?

Image source, Getty Images

"One season wonder!" cried the nay-sayers. Harry Kane has been struggling with second-season syndrome for Spurs, leading to some people (mainly non-Spurs fans) to question whether the England striker is actually all that.

But he returned to form at Bournemouth last weekend, bagging a hat-trick in the 5-1 win.

Image source, Opta

Vishnu Ladwa: How about Felix Magath at Fulham or Pepe Mel at West Brom?

Matthew Murray: Dr Josef Venglos in the 90s for Villa, never turned out well at all that.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa boss Kevin MacDonald on Micah Richards' ban: "We always knew that something might happen, so we put a couple of things in place, and if it was for two games we probably would have appealed."

As it was, Villa accepted Richards' ban for one game only. 

We found out about an hour ago that Villa skipper Micah Richards was out of tonight's match through the suspension. The defender apparently learned of his punishment from the FA earlier this afternoon but it hasn't stopped him warming up on the White Hart Lane pitch....

Managerial changes send a football club's media department into a frenzy. Batting off phone calls from journalists trying to get an early scoop, putting together gushing quotes from the new man, thinking of a Twitter hashtag for fans to welcome/criticise the appointment. Unfortunately, Villa's media team appeared to have Chelsea striker Loic Remy on the brain instead of their new manager! We've all done it - let me know any typos you spot on this page....

Image source, Twitter