Villa’s top four bid rocked at Brighton, Chelsea rout West Ham

Chelsea’s English midfielder #11 Noni Madueke (L) celebrates with Chelsea’s Brazilian defender #06 Thiago Silva after scoring the team’s third goal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and West Ham United at Stamford Bridge in London on May 5, 2024. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)

Aston Villa’s bid to finish in the Premier League’s top four was rocked by a 1-0 defeat at Brighton, while Chelsea thrashed West Ham 5-0 to keep alive their hopes of European qualification on Sunday.

A Villa win combined with a Tottenham loss at Liverpool in Sunday’s late game would have sealed a Champions League place for Unai Emery’s side.

But Villa were unable to fulfil their part of that equation as Joao Pedro’s 87th minute goal condemned them to a second painful defeat in four days.

Ending Brighton’s six-match winless run, Pedro headed in the rebound after Robin Olsen saved his penalty, which had been awarded for Ezri Konsa’s foul on Simon Adingra.

Surprisingly beaten 4-2 by Olympiakos in the Europa Conference League semi-final first leg on Thursday, Villa were well below their best once again.

Villa remain in fourth place, seven points clear of fifth placed Tottenham, who have two games in hand.

Emery’s men host Liverpool and travel to Crystal Palace in their last two games as they fight to return to the Champions League for the first time since 1982-83.

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea crushed London rivals West Ham to move above Manchester United into seventh place.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is fighting to convince the club’s co-owner Todd Boehly to give him a second season in charge after his troubled debut campaign.

Pochettino admits it is “not his decision” if he stays, but securing a place in Europe could be