Unai Emery insists Tottenham are bigger contenders to finish in the Premier League’s top four than his Aston Villa side this season.

Villa travel to north London on Sunday having made a good start to the campaign and are five points better off.

They have also dominated Spurs for the past two seasons, but the Spaniard claims Tottenham’s budget means they are favorites to go into the game and finish above them in the league.

“They are the favorites ahead of us for the season and the favorites for the game on Sunday,” he said.

“But we are competing and we are confident in the way we are progressing.

“We’re trying to compete with teams like Tottenham, or Chelsea or Newcastle, to compete with them in the top seven, top six, it’s a really big game.

“They are more contenders than us, we have a certain advantage in the table but after the match on Sunday it could be different. I hope we can compete and control the game.

“They are favorites with Chelsea, with Manchester United, with Newcastle. But we are here and I hope we can keep it for a long time.

When asked why they were favorites, Emery replied: “Because of the beginning, how we can make a list of those who are favorites with the budget, of course the budget is not enough to be favorite.

“But the difference between them and us remains a big gap. But of course we don’t think about it.

“But I have to tell everyone that there are seven other teams ahead of us at the start, with the budget, but we are competing and over the last two years we are gradually improving and keeping the same level as we let’s try to establish.

Midfielder Ross Barkley is the only one missing, with a “small injury” which will keep him out until after the next international break.

“We trained today with just a few players,” Emery said. “The other players were resting. Today was good, tomorrow morning we will train again.

“We only had one player injured, and that was Ross Barkley. He has a small injury. He is not available for the next two weeks.

“The others, they are available and they are completely 100 percent ready for Sunday.”