Aston Villa boosted their Champions League hopes with a commanding 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in their final home match of the Premier League season on Friday.
The win, played out in a celebratory atmosphere at Villa Park, left Spurs looking ahead to next week’s Europa League final as their best chance to salvage a disappointing campaign.
Villa controlled proceedings for most of the evening and were eventually rewarded just before the hour mark.
A well-worked corner routine saw Ollie Watkins nod the ball into the path of Ezri Konsa, who made no mistake, “whipped home” the opener in the 59th minute.
The hosts doubled their advantage in the 73rd minute when midfielder Boubacar Kamara rifled home a second, effectively sealing the result and exposing Spurs’ lacklustre display.
The result temporarily lifts Villa into fourth place, just ahead of Manchester City by a single point, though Pep Guardiola’s men have two games in hand. Chelsea, who were set to play later on Friday, remained in sixth.
That one will not live long in the memory for Spurs fans, but could be huge for Villa’s, as the result marked a significant stride towards Europe’s top club competition.
Villa now stand on the brink of a top-four finish, while for Spurs, all eyes now firmly on Bilbao where they will face Manchester United in a make-or-break Europa League final.
