Aston Villa’s Boubacar Kamara, right, celebrates scoring their side’s second goal of the game with team-mates during their English Premier League soccer match against Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
Aston Villa’s Marco Asensio (right) and Tottenham Hotspur’s Mikey Moore battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana, right, and Tottenham Hotspur’s Wilson Odobert battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
Aston Villa’s John McGinn, right, and Tottenham Hotspur’s Djed Spence battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
Aston Villa and Chelsea win at home and raise Champions League hopes
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) 鈥 Aston Villa and Chelsea won home games and strengthened their hopes for a top five Premier League finish and a place in next year鈥檚 Champions League on Friday.
Aston Villa’s Boubacar Kamara, right, celebrates scoring their side’s second goal of the game with team-mates during their English Premier League soccer match against Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) 鈥 Aston Villa and Chelsea won home games and strengthened their hopes for a top five Premier League finish and a place in next year鈥檚 Champions League on Friday.
Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara scored and gave Villa a 2-0 win over an under-strength Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea overcame a stuffy Manchester United 1-0 thanks to a second-half goal from Marc Cucurella.
The result left Chelsea in fourth with 66 points, and Villa in fifth on goal difference.
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The other teams fighting for one of the four Champions League spots after league winner Liverpool all have two games left to play.
Arsenal has 68 points, Newcastle 66, Manchester City 65, and Nottingham Forest 62.
On a tense night at Villa Park, the home side had the better of the play but was forced to wait until the 59th minute to get the opener.
Ollie Watkins steered John McGinn鈥檚 corner back across goal and an unmarked Ezri Konsa turned in the ball.
Boubacar Kamara doubled the lead with a low drive from the edge of the penalty area. It was his first Premier League goal in his 69th game.
鈥淲e knew today was a must win,鈥 the Frenchman told broadcaster Sky Sports. 鈥淲e want to play Champions League football again. 鈥 We had a taste of it this season and us as players it鈥檚 a competition you want to play in.鈥
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Villa’s final match is against Man United at Old Trafford on May 25.
Friday鈥檚 win was Villa鈥檚 eighth in its last nine league matches and extended its unbeaten home run to 21 games in all competitions, its best since 1977.
Meanwhile, at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea woke up after a dull first half when Spanish defender Cucurella headed home Reece James’ cross after 71 minutes.
Spurs and Man United went into the matches with one eye on next week’s Europa League final.
Both coaches rested some regular starters and got through the night without any new injury worries.
Both of Friday’s matches were brought forward by 48 hours to allow the sides more time to prepare for the final on Wednesday in Bilbao.
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