Aston Villa
Aston Villa signing this prolific 27-year-old star would get them firing once again
Why Aston Villa should take a gamble on Britt Assombalonga
According to TEAMtalk (h/t The Sun), Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has identified Middlesbrough forward Britt Assombalonga as a potential addition during the January transfer window.
Britt Assombalonga, 27, has been out of action for a number of weeks through injury and in his absence, Middlesbrough have edged away from the relegation zone and are now just seven points off the top-six.
He has scored 15 goals and 16 goals in his first two seasons at the Riverside Stadium and is already on 6 this campaign despite his injury troubles.
With the DR Congo international being a consistent goalscorer for Middlesbrough since arriving from Nottingham Forest a few years ago, should Aston Villa go for him?
Aston Villa suffered a double injury blow last week, with the devastating news that both first-choice stopper Tom Heaton and striker Wesley Moraes are ruled out for the season.
Wesley, signed from Club Brugge before the start of the season, has scored 5 goals in 21 games. Before his season-ending injury, the Brazilian often struggled for service from his fellow forwards and midfielders.
With Wesley now out, Smith has limited striker options in Jonathan Kodjia and the inexperienced Keinan Davis. Thus, it’s an absolute no-brainer for the Villans to sign a striker this month and Britt Assombalonga would be a good fit.
Assombalonga has been Boro’s top goalscorer for the last couple of seasons and certainly amongst the club’s standout performers. He may have struggled with an ankle injury this season but when fully fit, the 27-year-old has been a terror for Championship defenders.
The DR Congo international is an experienced Championship striker who knows how to consistently find the back of the net at the highest level. He is adept at playing as a second striker or on the left, while he is a bit underrated in terms of his creativity, as the former Nottingham Forest man has the vision to pick out a killer pass in the attacking third of the pitch.
In the video below, one could see how dangerous Assombalonga is in and around the box.
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Verdict
Assombalonga would be a little more of a gamble given his recent injuries, and he has scored just 6 times in 20 league games for Boro this season, having finished last term with 14.
At the age of 27, he is probably entering the prime stages of his career and the Villans, after losing Wesley for the rest of the season, must definitely take a punt on the Congolese.
England international Katie Robinson officially completed her move back to Bristol City on January 8, 2026 on a two and a half year contract, keeping her at Ashton Gate through summer 2028.
The 23-year-old forward returns to the club where she made her senior debut at age 16 in October 2018 and rose through the academy system. Robinson left Aston Villa on a permanent transfer after making 12 appearances on loan at Everton during the first half of the 2025-26 season.
The Academy Homecoming
Robinson progressed through the Bristol City academy before earning her senior debut in 2018 against Birmingham City. She impressed as a teenager but departed for Brighton in July 2020 after signing her first professional contract.
Her four year spell at Brighton saw her score 10 goals in 68 appearances including winning the Young Player of the Season award in 2022-23. A loan spell at Charlton Athletic during the 2021-22 season helped her regain match fitness after knee injury.
She joined Aston Villa in July 2024 but struggled for consistent playing time, prompting a loan move to Everton that became the springboard for her Bristol return.
International Experience and Lionesses Recognition
Robinson earned her first England senior call-up in November 2022 and has since been capped five times for her country. She became the youngest squad member at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand where England finished runners-up.
She also helped England win the Arnold Clark Cup and the Women’s Finalissima in 2023. Her international experience combined with her domestic knowledge of Bristol City makes her a valuable addition to the squad.
Ambitions Aligned at Bristol
Robinson told Bristol City media that her visions aligned perfectly with head coach Charlotte Healy and new owners Mercury 13. She expressed excitement returning to the club that started her career.
Head Coach Charlotte Healy described Robinson as fantastic, quick and exciting to watch, praising her growth as a player and her ability to handle elite level football. Bristol City currently sit third in WSL2 with promotion ambitions as the expanding league structure now allows three teams to reach the top flight.
Also read: After two-and-a-half years, Janice Cayman departs Leicester City for PSV
Aston Villa
Manchester City Women Player Ratings vs. Aston Villa: Bunny Shaw’s Historic Quadruple Takes Her Past Century Mark
Khadija “Bunny” Shaw became the 10th player in Manchester City Women’s history to reach 100 goals for the club, marking the milestone with a sensational four-goal haul in Sunday’s 6-1 demolition of Aston Villa.
The Jamaican netted her 100th and 101st within minutes before completing her quadruple after the break, taking her tally to 103 goals in just 120 appearances.
Vivianne Miedema delivered a masterclass performance, recording assists for Shaw and Aoba Fujino before capping her display with a goal of her own.
Goalkeeper & Defence
Ayaka Yamashita – 5/10 Nearly gifted Villa a goal with a careless pass to Yui Hasegawa in midfield. The Japan international looked nervy with the ball at her feet despite Villa’s limited attacking threat.
Kerstin Casparij – 7/10 On her 100th appearance for City, the Netherlands right-back was a constant threat going forward. Forced a good save from Sabrina D’Angelo after the break and linked well with Fujino down the right flank.
Jade Rose – 6/10 Made an important block late on to deny Rachel Daly what would have been a consolation goal. Solid enough defensively without being tested regularly.
Rebecca Knaak – 5/10 Fresh from signing a new two-year contract extension in midweek, the centre-back picked up a booking for a mistimed tackle on Daly. Not her sharpest performance.
Leila Ouahabi – 5/10 Lost her individual battle against Villa’s impressive wing-back Chasity Grant, who caused problems throughout. Struggled defensively when Villa pressed high.
Midfield & Attack
Laura Blindkilde Brown – 6/10 Neat and tidy in possession, keeping things simple in the middle of the park. Supplied City’s forwards adequately but didn’t stamp her authority on proceedings.
Yui Hasegawa – 7/10 Played a crucial role in Shaw’s second goal, winning possession in midfield before setting the Jamaican on her way. Her energy in the centre was vital to City’s control.
Aoba Fujino – 8/10 One of City’s best performers this season continued her excellent form. Lively down the right-hand side all afternoon before netting the third with a superb finish past D’Angelo. Also provided the assist for Miedema’s goal.
Vivianne Miedema – 9/10 Displaying plenty of guile between the lines, the WSL’s all-time top scorer showcased her complete game. Recorded assists for Shaw and Fujino with perfectly weighted passes before tapping home herself. Her movement and vision were exceptional throughout.
Lauren Hemp – 7/10 The scourge of Villa, having previously scored seven WSL goals against them. Recorded the pre-assist in the build-up to Shaw’s opener and caused constant problems with her direct running.
Khadija Shaw – 10/10 Simply remarkable inside the penalty area. Reached and surpassed a century of City goals with a performance that showcased exactly why she’s the WSL’s most lethal finisher. Her 100th came from Miedema’s cross, her 101st from a trademark cut inside, and she added two more after the break. Now has 12 WSL goals in just 11 games this season.
Subs & Manager
Alex Greenwood (6/10): Returned to the City fold for the first time since October following her injury layoff. The captain helped see out the victory and provided valuable leadership from the bench.
Grace Clinton (6/10): Replaced Laura Blindkilde Brown after the hour mark and thought she’d scored City’s sixth, but it deflected in off Shaw for the striker’s fourth.
Kerolin (5/10): A second-half substitute who replaced Hemp but was unable to make an impact on the match.
Andree Jeglertz (8/10): His half-time team talk proved spot on after Villa showed spirit in the opening 45 minutes. City were ruthless in the second half, demonstrating the clinical edge expected of title winners.
Also read: Chelsea Women Player Ratings vs. Everton: Sonia Bompastor’s Unbeaten Record Shattered as Toffees End Historic 34-Game WSL Streak
Tottenham Hotspur Women welcome Aston Villa Women to Brisbane Road on Sunday, December 7, 2025, in their final home game of the calendar year.
Spurs enter the fixture 5th in the WSL table with 16 points, while Villa sit 8th with 10 points, setting up an important mid-table battle.
Kick-off: 12:00 UK / 14:00 GMT
Venue: Brisbane Road (BetWright Stadium)
Competition: Barclays Women’s Super League – Round 10
Broadcast: Sky Sports+ / WSL YouTube
Form Guide
Tottenham have enjoyed a strong start to the 2025–26 season but come into this match looking to regain momentum. They remain firmly in top-half contention with 16 points from their opening nine league games.
Aston Villa have endured a mixed campaign. With 10 points from eight matches, they sit 8th but have shown competitive performances away from home and remain capable of troubling any side on their day.
Historically, the fixture has been evenly balanced, with six wins each and five draws across all competitive meetings.
Team News
As of December 6, neither club has released an official injury report or confirmed squad list for this fixture.
Aston Villa have also not publicly confirmed any major absences.
Because no official lists are available yet, all lineup information remains predicted rather than confirmed.
Predicted Lineups
Tottenham Women (4-2-3-1):
Kop; Nildén, Hunt, Bartrip, Morris; Summanen, Ahtinen; Holdt, Spence, Naz; Thomas
Aston Villa Women (4-2-3-1):
D’Angelo; Maritz, Patten, Turner, Pacheco; Staniforth, Nobbs; Hanson, Dali, Daly; Lehmann
Match Outlook
With both sides looking to close out the year positively, this fixture has the makings of a tight and competitive meeting.
Tottenham’s strong home form and stable core squad could give them the edge. Aston Villa, however, have proven difficult to break down on the road and have the attacking quality to make this a challenging afternoon.
A narrow Spurs victory or a tense draw appears the most likely outcome.
Also read: Arsenal Women vs. Liverpool Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview
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