Aston Villa bolstered their bid to qualify for the Champions League as they beat Tottenham 2-0 to climb into fifth place within the Premier League on Friday.
Unai Emery’s aspect had no margin for error at Villa Park because the race for prime 5 locations approaches a dramatic conclusion.
Second-half objectives from Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara ensured Villa’s battle to play in Europe’s elite membership competitors will go all the way down to the final day of the season.
Fourth-placed Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Friday means Villa nonetheless want sixth-placed Manchester Metropolis — one level behind Emery’s males — to lose in opposition to Bournemouth of their recreation in hand on Tuesday to be accountable for their very own future.
Villa have received 5 of their final six video games and yet another victory at Manchester United on Could 25 — plus a Metropolis loss in one in every of their remaining two matches — would seal their goal of ending within the prime 5.
“We received and we’re on a run however nonetheless have work to do. We’ve got to prepared. We’ve got an opportunity to play within the Champions League,” Emery mentioned.
“We have been constant, demanding and once we scored the primary objective, they gave up. We wanted to handle the 90 minutes and we labored it nicely.
“We’re in a superb second. We’re being demanding. We are able to get Champions League — improbable.”
Tottenham have been way more involved with their very own route into the Champions League — successful the Europa League remaining in opposition to Manchester United in Bilbao on Wednesday.
Languishing in seventeenth place after their twenty first league defeat this time period, Ange Postecoglou’s troubled group are set for his or her worst end since being relegated from the top-flight in 1976-77.
Tottenham are with out a win of their final six league matches, shedding 5 occasions in that dismal streak.
Already with out injured trio Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall for the ultimate, Postecoglou rested a number of key gamers together with Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur.
Postecoglou had admitted Tottenham could not afford any extra health issues, however his understudies succumbed to the newest lacklustre loss in a woeful season that might finish within the Australian’s sacking whatever the consequence in opposition to United.
Earlier than kick-off, Villa followers posed with a reproduction of the European Cup trophy the membership received in 1982.
Mounting stress
That remaining triumph in opposition to Bayern Munich stays Villa’s most interesting achievement, however this season’s memorable run to the Champions League quarter-finals excited the membership’s supporters.
For Villa to stay in rivalry for one more marketing campaign amongst Europe’s elite, victory in opposition to Tottenham was important.
Tottenham captain Son Heung-min was again within the beginning line-up after a month out injured and the South Korea ahead went shut early on, chopping in from the left flank for a roller that flashed over.
Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez needed to make an alert save to maintain out Wilson Odobert’s audacious back-heeled effort from Mathys Tel’s cross.
Emery’s males hit again after these escapes and Morgan Rogers pressured an outstanding save from Tottenham keeper Antonin Kinsky, who clawed away the midfielder’s flick earlier than it may bounce in.
Villa’s failure to make the breakthrough within the first half in opposition to a group with their minds elsewhere raised the stress ranges after the interval, however Konsa eased the mounting anxiousness within the 59th minute.
John McGinn’s nook was flicked on by Ollie Watkins and Konsa took benefit of Tottenham’s sluggish response as he swept a composed end previous Kinsky.
Villa went for the kill and Watkins’ close-range shot was repelled by Kinsky’s wonderful cease.
Kamara put the consequence past doubt within the 73rd minute, taking Rogers’ move and lashing house from the sting of the realm.
