Tottenham travel to Birmingham on Saturday knowing that Aston Villa are at least likely to offer greater resistance to their attacking intents than Wigan Athletic, the side that suffered a 9-1 thrashing at the hands of Jermain Defoe and co on Sunday.

Indeed Villa, along with Spurs and Manchester City, represent the hunting pack, with a rare place in next year's Champions League looking like an increasingly probable target thanks to Liverpool's collapse.

Nevertheless Martin O'Neill's side will be aware that confidence can barely be higher in the Spurs ranks after a performance last weekend that ranks as one of the greatest in the history of the Premier League.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp was in no mood to play down his side's efforts after the match, declaring to Sky Sports: "The whole team, everybody worked and played well and for Jermain to go and get five goals was a real outstanding performance."

Not that Redknapp has had it all his way this week, with two of his players being linked with moves away in January. Striker Roman Pavlyuchenko has continued his campaign for first-team football by talking to AS Roma, while Vedran Corluka has been linked with Juventus.

The former Portsmouth manager has also been weighing up his goalkeeping options after learning that Carlo Cudicini will be out for the season as a result of the injuries he suffered in a motorcycle accident earlier in the month.

With untried veteran Jimmy Walker the only other senior option at the club, Redknapp could well make a temporary signing in January, while in the meantime praying that number one Heurelho Gomes stays fit.

The Brazilian keeper could be part of an unchanged team, although Sebastien Bassong and Giovani Dos Santos should both now be fit enough to start should Redknapp wish to shake things up.

Villa, three points and one place behind Spurs in the table, could start with Stewart Downing for the first time after the winger made a 20-minute debut in the 1-1 draw with Burnley last weekend.