Aston Villa Sink Tottenham Hotspur To Bolster Bid To Reach Champions League

Aston Villa bolstered their bid to qualify for the Champions League as they beat Tottenham 2-0 to climb into the Premier League's top five on Friday. Unai Emery's side had no margin for error at Villa Park as the race for top five places approaches a dramatic conclusion. Second-half goals from Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara ensured Villa's battle to play in Europe's elite club competition will go down to the last day of the season. Villa, who have won five of their last six games, still need Chelsea or Manchester City to fail to win one of their last two games to be in control of their own destiny when they face Manchester United on May 25.

Emery's men are likely to need a win at Old Trafford if they are to achieve their top five target.

Tottenham were far more concerned with their own route into the Champions League -- winning the Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao on Wednesday.

Languishing in 17th place after their 21st league defeat this term, Ange Postecoglou's troubled team are set for their worst finish since being relegated from the top-flight in 1976-77.

Tottenham are without a win in their last six league matches, losing five times in that dismal streak.

Already without injured trio Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall for the final, Postecoglou rested a host of key players including Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Postecoglou had admitted Tottenham couldn't afford any more fitness problems, but his understudies succumbed to the latest lacklustre loss in a woeful season that could end in the Australian's sacking regardless of the result against United.

Before kick-off, Villa fans posed with a replica of the European Cup trophy their team won in 1982.

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