Kai Havertz scored a stoppage-time winner to fire Arsenal to a crucial 1-0 victory against Sporting CP and boost Aston Villa's Champions League hopes
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery(Image: (Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images))
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Aston Villa’s hopes of securing Champions League football next season have been boosted after Arsenal beat Sporting CP. Mikel Arteta’s side claimed a 1-0 win at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night.
Martin Zubimendi thought he had opened the scoring for the Gunners, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review. However, in the first minute of stoppage time, Kai Havertz pounced to secure his side victory.
And, as a result of the Gunners' win, England has secured a top-two finish in the UEFA season coefficient rankings, which means that a fifth Champions League qualifying spot for the Premier League has been secured.
Villa are currently fourth in the Premier League table, five points clear of fifth-place Liverpool, despite a disastrous run of form that has seen them win just four of their last 12 league games.
And as a result of their poor form, former Villa forward Andy Gray has warned Emery and his side that they are now in real danger of missing out on a top-five spot.
“Whether they're just beginning to feel it, I don't know,” he said, via BetSelect. “They've had a lot of injuries in midfield and lost influential players like John McGinn and (Amadou) Onana.
“Ollie Watkins hasn't had his best season. If you look at his numbers, they're not great. At this part of the season, you need everybody firing.
Ollie Watkins(Image: Getty Images)
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“I think at times it looks like they're running on empty. I hope that's not the case because, having been in the top four now for most of the season, they are in danger of dropping out, and the gap to Chelsea and Liverpool is not big enough.
“Especially when you're not playing well, and the trouble is now, after last week’s Champions League catastrophe, we might not get the fifth place that we were hoping for at the beginning of the tournament.
“So if Villa don’t finish fourth, they won’t qualify for the Champions League. It’s going to be a massive fight for that place, and it's definitely going to be worth watching.”
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