The latest Aston Villa news as we take a look at how things stand in the race for the top five Premier League positions.
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Boubacar Kamara of Aston Villa celebrates with team mates after scoring his teams second goal during the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Villa Park.
Aston Villa have secured a big boost in their hopes of Champions League football thanks to a 2-0 win over Tottenham.
(Image: Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images)
Aston Villa have been handed a boost in their hopes of playing Champions League football next season thanks to a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
Friday night saw both Villa and their Champions League rivals Chelsea in action. While Villa hosted Spurs, the Blues welcomed Manchester United to Stamford Bridge, with there being 45 minutes between the two kick-offs.
As Chelsea were kicking off, Villa were heading into half-time having played out a goalless 45 minutes with Spurs.
After being frustrated in the first half, Villa finally found a much-needed breakthrough in the 59th minute with Ezri Konsa making the most of Ollie Watkins' header from a corner. He made no mistake with his finish into the bottom corner.
It got even better for Villa in the 73rd minute. Boubacar Kamara cut inside on the edge of the area with his left-footed shot giving the Spurs goalkeeper no chance for what was his first Premier League goal.
The 2-0 win moved Villa into fourth place with Chelsea still drawing 0-0 with Manchester United. That however changed with the Blues finding a crucial goal against United through Marc Cucurella.
There are however other games, as well as Villa's final game of the season vs United that will have a say on the final position.
Here's a look at the standings going into the final game of the campaign.
As it stands
Liverpool - 83 points
Arsenal - 68 points
Newcastle - 66 points (+23 GD)
Chelsea - 66 points (+19 GD)
Aston Villa - 66 points (+9 GD)
Man City - 65 points (+24 GD)
Nottingham Forest - 62 points (+19 GD)
Final fixtures of the season
Sunday, 18 May
West Ham United vs Nottingham Forest (2.15pm)
Arsenal vs Newcastle United (4.30pm)
Tuesday, 20 May
Man City vs Bournemouth (8pm)
Sunday, 25 May (all 4pm kick-offs)
Fulham vs Man City
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea
Man United vs Aston Villa
Newcastle United vs Everton
Permutations
A win for Villa against United next weekend will see them move onto 69 points. The maximum Nottingham Forest can get is 68 with wins in their final two games, meaning Villa will be out of their reach.
Chelsea's win over United means that a win in their final game, which is against Forest, will see them reach 69 points, but their goal difference is better than Villa's.
Therefore a draw or Forest win in the game at the City Ground would see Villa secure a Champions League place with a win over United. They could also do it if Man City lose against either Bournemouth or Fulham, or drop points in both games.
A draw against United would see Villa on 67 points. They will then be relying on two of Chelsea, Man City and Nottingham Forest to drop points in their final games.
A loss against United would mean that Villa would be relying on Man City not picking up any points in their final two games, as well as Nottingham Forest not picking up more than three points.
What are your predictions for the final Premier League matches? Tell us in the comments section
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