Villa manager Martin O’Neill takes his team to Tottenham for a top-four showdown insisting his players versatility has been the key to their success this season.

Two points might be all that separate the sides tomorrow, but right now it represents the fine margin between Champions League and Europa League with Spurs fourth and Villa seventh.

While Villa’s main pieces of transfer activity during January was the departures of Craig Gardner to Birmingham and Nicky Shorey’s loan move to Fulham, free-spending Spurs have added Eidur Gudjohnsen and Younes Kaboul to an embarrassment of riches which has even seen them stretch to allowing Robbie Keane out on loan.

O’Neill said: “I think that probably tells you everything. Their manager Harry Redknapp seemed happy enough for Robbie to go out – because he has got Gudjohnsen, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe and Crouch. He has built up a really squad and well done to them.

“Gudjohnsen is a really excellent signing for them. They’ve obviously moved in for Kaboul as well, just in case they moved in for any defenders.

“They have put a really great squad together and are really going for it.”

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp certainly has the edge when it comes to numbers, meaning O’Neill has been forced to rely on the flexibilty of a number of his players when injuries or suspensions strike.

James Milner, Ashley Young, Stewart Downing and, Luke Young all fall into that category, having been asked to play various positions this season.

The Villa boss said: The versatility thing is quite important,. What we have had is Ashley Young going from right to left, Downing switches over now and, while Milner is now more central midfield, you will still see him popping up on the right or left-hand side or midfield.

“It’s that versatility that I think has helped us enormously in the last few months.”

Former Spurs defender Luke Young is a prime example, with the right-back having been asked to deputise at left-back for the injured Stephen Warnock in recent games – as well as spending five months of last season in the position.

O’Neill believes one of the reasons the former England international has excelled there because his concentration levels need to be higher.

He said: “Luke played left-back for us last season and I thought he did very well. It’s not alien to him anymore. He is versatile and I think sometimes that concentration levels are pretty high when he is playing in a position that wouldn’t be his normal one.

“I have been really pleased with him for some considerable time.”

With two games against Manchester United to follow this month – one in the league on Wednesday and a Carling Cup final showdown on February 28, O’Neill admits big matches are a regularity rather than a rarity these days.

According to the Villa boss, tomorrow’s clash in the capital is no exception.

He said: “Every game this season seems to have been a huge game for us but I take the point, I think it is. It was a great win for us last week and another away victory. We are going to go down to WHL, play against a very talented Tottenham Hotspur side and see if we can win.

“I think we’re down now to the second half of the season. The points can still be clawed back but it’s clearly a very important game. There’s no doubt about it.

“If Tottenham beat us they are five points ahead of us, if you can beat them you are still hanging in there. I can’t deny it was a big game.

It promises to be a battle of the hotshots as Gabby Agbonlahor goes up against one of his rivals for an England World Cup place, Jermain Defoe.

Agbonlahor is back on song after scoring a brace in last weekend’s win at Fulham and O’Neill believes the strikes were a reward for barren recent displays.

He said: “I know that strikers need to score goals to keep themselves alive and give themselves confidence. I learnt from a brilliant previous manager in Brian Clough that sometimes you don’t get your just deserts on the day.

“Gabriel taking those two goals was as much about his performance against Arsenal (the game before).”

Remarkably, Tottenham striker Defoe bagged his third hat-trick of the season on Wednesday night, scoring all three goals in the FA Cup win over Leeds at Elland Road.

So O’Neill admits Villa will have to be on red alert.

He said: “Defoe will have to be watched very carefully in the game, as he can score goals. I wouldn’t disagree with Harry Redknapp that he may well be as good a finisher as anybody in the Premier League.”

The Spurs forward has now set his sights on winning the Golden Boot after his midweek spree made it 20 goals in all competitions this season – 15 of them in the league, putting him joint second in the standings alongside Didier Drogba and five behind Wayne Rooney.

Defoe said: “If I do get it, it would be great for everyone. I just want to keep it going. The Golden Boot is at the back of my mind.”

John Carew is likely to return to the squad after a full week’s training, while Stiliyan Petrov is again expected to play through the pain barrier with an ongoing Achilles problem.

The claret and blues are certain to be without the injured Stephen Warnock (shin), Nigel Reo-Coker (ankle) and Marlon Harewood (foot). Freddie Bouma also still remains some way off full fitness, despite playing 90 minutes for the reserves on Monday night.

Ledley King, Wilson Palacios and Luka Modric are expected to return to the Spurs side.