Aston Villa are battling with Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea to qualify for next season's Champions League via the Premier League
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery shouts instructions to his team from the technical area during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery shouts instructions to his team from the technical area during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
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Aston Villa are being written off in the race to qualify for the Champions League via the Premier League, but there will likely be more twists and turns before the end of the season.
Their hopes of finishing in the top five were certainly dented by Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford - their third league loss in a row.
Villa are still in fourth place in the table, but the Red Devils have moved three points above them in third place and both Liverpool and Chelsea are breathing down their neck with eight matches left to play.
Liverpool are just two points behind Unai Emery’s side in fifth place and Chelsea are three points behind Villa in sixth.
Here, we take a look at the next five matches for all of those clubs as they battle it out for a place in next season’s Champions League.
Man Utd - 3rd
Bournemouth (a)
Leeds (h)
Chelsea (a)
Brentford (h)
Liverpool (h)
Villa - 4th
West Ham (h)
Forest (a)
Sunderland (h)
Fulham (a)
Tottenham (h)
Liverpool - 5th
Brighton (a)
Fulham (h)
Everton (a)
Crystal Palace (h)
Man Utd (a)
Chelsea - 6th
Everton (a)
Man City (h)
Man Utd (h)
Brighton (a)
Forest (h)
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