Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa: Premier League – live!

19 min: Trezeguet slips away from Ndombele with ease, and tears off down the right. He slips inside for Wesley, who should shuttle the ball on towards El Ghazi, clear on the left. But Spurs – and their new midfield man – are let off the hook when Wesley checks, turns the other way, and picks the wrong pass. Worrying gaps at the back for Spurs.

17 min: Walker-Peters whips a glorious cross in from the right. Lamela is this close to running in and meeting it with a strong nut. But he’s inches away and it’s Mings who heads instead, clearing for Villa.

16 min: A bit of treatment for the goalscorer McGinn, who nearly knacked himself while challenging Winks in an overly aggressive and clumsy manner. But it looks like he’s good to continue.

14 min: Ndombele nearly dribbles clear down the left, but Hourihane does extremely well to stick to him like glue and usher him out of play. Villa are growing in confidence, understandably so.

13 min: Spurs try a route-one move of their own. Alderweireld strokes a long pass down the middle. Kane nips ahead of a spinning Mings, but can’t take the ball under control and it zips through to Heaton. Nearly, though.

11 min: It would be fair to say that the goal came against the run of play. The Villa fans strike up a comic rendition of We’re Gonna Win The League.

… Villa go straight up the other end and score the opener! Mings, out on the left, passes long down the middle. McGinn is immediately clear of Sanchez, who is woefully out of position. Rose tries to catch him, and slides across, but McGinn drops a shoulder to send him skidding away in the wrong direction. Then he slams clinically past Lloris into the bottom right!

8 min: Lamela decides to go straight for goal. He’s looking to whip the ball across Heaton and into the top left, but succeeds only in hoicking it over the crossbar. Bad move, because …

7 min: Taylor bowls Walker-Peters to the ground near the corner flag on the right. A panicked and utterly needless challenge. A free kick in a dangerous position. Spurs load the box.

6 min: Spurs continue to push Villa back. Lamela nearly tears clear on the left, but Engels is across to hack clear. It’s a fast start from the hosts, a sluggish one from newly promoted Villa.

5 min: A huge chance for Spurs to open the scoring. Rose crosses from the left. Mings and Taylor are miles apart, and Moura is gifted a free header on the penalty spot. He really should score, but his downward effort is too close to Heaton and smothered.

3 min: Alderweireld, quarterbacking from deep, launches a long ball down the left for Rose, who plays it first time but only succeeds in looping into the arms of Heaton.

2 min: Villa still haven’t had much of a touch. A bit shaken after that early scare.

And we’re off! And it’s nearly a farcical return to the top tier for Villa. Elmohamady immediately gives up possession out on the Villa right. Moura scampers off with the ball, cuts in from the wing, and lashes over the bar while looking for the top right. That one would have been timed at 16 seconds.

But before the game starts, there’s time for a minute of warm applause in loving memory of Justin Edinburgh. The Leyton Orient manager passed away suddenly in June. He spent the majority of his playing career at Spurs, and everyone in the ground pays their respect.

The teams are out! A magnificent atmosphere at Tottenham’s gorgeous new stadium. Last year’s Champions League finalists are in their famous lilywhite, while the Championship play-off winners sport their traditional claret and blue. We’ll be off before you know it!

Dean Smith speaks! “The performances in pre-season have been good. A lot has been made about the amount of players we’ve brought in, but if you look at three of the back four today played the last 15 games of last season, and only conceded ten goals. The midfield three were the three that played at Wembley. El Ghazi was in the team already. We feel we deserve to be here, and are excited about the challenges ahead.”

Mauricio Pochettino meanwhile fends off questions about the absent Jan Vertonghen and the benched Christian Eriksen. An insouciant shrug in word form. He doesn’t care for the subject at all.

This is the first Saturday night match on Sky Sports under the new TV contract. They were always bound to come up with some wholly unnecessary innovation to celebrate the occasion, and what they’ve unveiled is just asking for trouble. During the pre-match warm-up, pundit Jamie Redknapp wandered into the middle of the pitch, right among the players pinging passes this way and that. He’s out there ostensibly to “take a closer look” at Tanguy Ndombele, though why is not clear, because he then starts yammering on about clips he’s already seen of the player. It’s hard completely to concentrate on what he’s saying, because you’re waiting for a ball to hit him flush in his startled grid. It doesn’t happen tonight, but give it time. If they keep this feature going, such slapstick is grimly inevitable.

Tottenham’s new midfielder Tanguy Ndombele does indeed make his debut this evening. However, the other big purchases, Giovani lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon, don’t feature at all. Christian Eriksen is only on the bench. Jan Vertonghen is out injured.

Meanwhile it’s all change for Aston Villa. They unveil keeper Tom Heaton, attackers Wesley and Trezeguet, and defender Bjorn Engels. Tyrone Mings and Anwar El Ghazi also make their first starts as full-time Villa players.

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Walker-Peters, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Rose, Sissoko, Winks, Ndombele, Lamela, Kane, Lucas Moura.
Subs: Wanyama, Nkoudou, Dier, Gazzaniga, Eriksen, Aurier, Skipp.

Aston Villa: Heaton, Elmohamady, Mings, Engels, Taylor, McGinn, Hourihane, Trezeguet, Grealish, El Ghazi, Wesley.
Subs: Douglas Luiz, Lansbury, Steer, Konsa, Targett, Jota, Kodjia.

Referee: Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire).

Aston Villa are back! After three years in the wilderness, the seven-time champions of England and erstwhile conquerors of Europe are back! Tottenham Hotspur have missed them madly, as well … on account of having won nine of their last ten games against them.

History may only provide so much of a guide, though, because both teams have moved on since we last saw them. Spurs, unchanged for a couple of transfer windows, could finally shoogle things up this evening by giving their new signings Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso a debut at their fancy new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They’ll also be without the injured Dele Alli and the suspended Heung-min Son. And will they suffer a hangover from the bitter disappointment of Madrid? Ah, variables, old friend, it’s been a while round these parts.

Villa meanwhile have gone to town in the transfer market since reclaiming their top-flight status in the play-off final against Derby. Eleven new signings! Trezeguet and Wesley are the big hopes up front; Tyrone Mings and Matt Targett have been secured at the back. But perhaps most importantly, they’ve managed to keep hold of Jack Grealish during the Championship years, and now have a midfielder beginning to realise his vast potential. Dean Smith has promised his side will go for it this season; consolidation is not their only goal.

So both sets of fans have plenty to get excited about. Spurs – long established now as one of the best teams in Europe – are naturally big favourites against a newly promoted team that will need time to gel. But Villa have won their last three opening fixtures in the Premier League – at Arsenal, Stoke and Bournemouth – and will treat this match as a free shot. With so many new faces likely to be on show, it’s sure to be fascinating. Here’s to exciting and dramatic as well. It’s on!

Kick off: 5.30pm BST.