Aston Villa came closer to a Champions League-Tight after a 2-0 win up Tottenham, who had more than one eye on Wednesday’s Europa League final.
Villa’s memorable run to the quarterfinals of this season’s competition gave them the taste for more and they increased their hope with an eighth victory of their last nine Premier League matches.
This was probably the largest home banker of the campaign that was given where the focus of Spurs was, but Villa made it hard and needed the second half of Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara to get the job done.
That means that if other results go their way this weekend, a victory in their last game of the season at Manchester United would be enough to guarantee Villa a return to the promised country.
Spurs could still be in the Champions League next season if they could end their trophy -dried with the victory of the Europa League over United and Baas Ange Postecoglou did nothing to endanger it in the Villa Park.
The controversial Australian made it clear where his focus was on mentioning a weakened side, which included a first Premier League start since 2022 for forgotten man Sergio Reguilon.
They never really looked like avoiding a 21st League defeat of a miserable competition season, but all roads now lead to Bilbao where history could be.
Villa had an early flurry of opportunities when Ollie Watkins shot at Antonin Kinsky and John McGinn just made an attempt.
But in particular Spurs, and son Heung-Min, showed-althans for a while that they were not there to make the figures.
The Zuid -Korean is one of the players who will probably play in Bilbao and he almost opened the score when he cut inside and hit an attempt just over the bar.
Son was involved again when Spurs came close again and started a movement that Wilson Odobert Slim Flick Mathys saw Tel’s Dwarsbouw, but Emiliano Martinez was right and saved his feet.
It was Kinsky who was then forced into a smart save when he got fingertips to the cross of Amadou Onana that sneaked into the distant pole.
Villa came forward with a wave of attacks, where Marco Asensio Curling was just wide of 20 meters and Konsa straight to Kinsky.
Frustrations grew when the hosts collided at the start of the second half, but the tension was relieved because they finally made the breakthrough just before the hour.
Watkins rose highly from McGinn’s corner and his knockdown was swept home by Konsa.
It was almost 2-0 60 seconds later, but Kinsky went well to keep out Watkins’ efforts.
Kamara killed colored nerves in the 73rd minute when he unleashed a bright low shot that was too hot to handle Kinsky.
Villa saw it to end their excellent home campaign with a record-expanding 21st game unbeaten in all competitions, with goalkeeper Martinez, who was associated with a move, in tears at the end.
For Spurs, it is still a match this season to go without defeat.
#Inform #Aston #Villa #Close #Champions #League #Return #Tottenham #Victory