Aston Villa boosted their bid for a Champions League spot by defeating Tottenham 2-0 at Villa Park on Friday, climbing into the Premier League’s top five as the race for European places nears its dramatic conclusion.
Unai Emery’s side knew they had no margin for error and delivered with second-half goals from Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara, ensuring their hopes will go down to the final day of the season.
Villa have now won five of their last six games but still need Chelsea or Manchester City to slip up in their remaining matches to control their destiny. Their final league game against Manchester United on May 25 will likely require a win to secure a top-five finish.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have been focused on their Europa League final against Manchester United next week in Bilbao. Sitting 17th in the league after suffering their 21st defeat of the season, manager Ange Postecoglou’s side are heading for their worst top-flight finish since 1976-77.
With a poor run of form—six games without a win and five losses—Tottenham rested key players like Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero, and Rodrigo Bentancur in a bid to avoid further fitness issues ahead of the final.
Before kickoff, Villa fans proudly posed with a replica of the European Cup trophy won by the club in 1982—their greatest triumph to date.
The match started with Tottenham’s Son Heung-min returning from injury, nearly opening the scoring with a curling shot that went just over the bar. Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez made a sharp save to deny Wilson Odobert’s clever back-heel attempt.
Villa responded strongly as Morgan Rogers forced a fine save from Tottenham keeper Antonin Kinsky. Marco Asensio also came close with a curling effort that narrowly missed the target.
The tension remained high after a goalless first half, but Konsa broke the deadlock in the 59th minute, calmly finishing after a flick-on from Ollie Watkins during a corner routine.
Villa pressed for a second goal, with Watkins’ close-range shot saved by Kinsky and John McGinn narrowly missing with a powerful strike.
Kamara sealed the victory in the 73rd minute, finishing emphatically from the edge of the box after receiving a pass from Rogers.
With this win, Aston Villa maintain their hopes of returning to Europe’s elite club competition next season, setting up a thrilling conclusion to the Premier League campaign.
