By Abimbola Ogunnaike
Tottenham have kick-started their hope of qualifying for next year Champions on Sunday, 10 March, 2024 after it putting four goals into the net of their hosts, Aston Villa.
The defeat of Aston Villa may denied them from finishing in the Premier League’s top four.
Ange Postecoglou’s side came to Villa Park having at the back of their minds that defeat to their fourth placed rivals would have been potentially fatal to their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
But the Postecoglou tutored side rose to the challenge with a second half goal galore in the rain-soaked west midlands.
James Maddison put the north Londoners ahead and Brennan Johnson doubled their lead before Villa captain John McGinn was sent off for chopping down Destiny Udogie.
Son Heung-min and Timo Werner struck in stoppage-time to leave fifth placed Tottenham just two points behind Villa with a game in hand.
Restoring Tottenham to Europe’s elite club competition in his first season in charge would be a significant achievement for Postecoglou and the target is now firmly in his control.
The Australian this week said reaching the Champions League would not be “a Willy Wonka golden ticket” for his club.
But the defeat left Villa feeling as sick as Augustus Gloop, the gluttonous boy, who gets in trouble while visiting Wonka’s chocolate factory in Roald Dahl’s book.
Villa are hoping to reach the Champions League for the first time since 1983, but this was a major setback to their unexpected bid for a top four finish.
Unai Emery’s team claimed an early penalty when Ollie Watkins was sent flying by Micky van de Ven’s crunching challenge, but VAR rejected their appeals.
In a game played at a fast pace, Villa were left frustrated when Matty Cash poked into the side-netting from Leon Bailey’s cross.
Lucas Digne nearly broke the deadlock just before half-time with a glancing header that looped wide from McGinn’s cross.
Tottenham lost Van de Ven to an injury immediately after the interval, but the visitors were unfazed as they snatched the lead in the 50th minute.
Pape Sarr beat the Villa offside trap and whipped in a teasing cross that Maddison adroitly volleyed past Martinez from five yards before celebrating with his dart-throwing routine in front of the Tottenham fans.
Villa were shell-shocked and there was worse to come for Emery’s men three minutes later.
Ezri Konsa took too long on the ball before playing a weak pass that was intercepted by Kulusevski.
Son pounced on the loose ball, drove towards the Villa area and slipped his pass to Johnson, who fired high into the net before emulating Maddison’s darts tribute.
Johnson’s goal meant Tottenham had equalled their club record streak of scoring in 27 successive league games since the start of a season.
