Chelsea and Aston Villa took big steps toward Champions League qualification on Friday night with important wins over Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea defeated Manchester United 1-0 thanks to a second-half header from Marc Cucurella. The win moved the Blues into fourth place in the Premier League, putting them in control of their Champions League hopes going into the final round of the season.
Despite having no recognised striker due to injuries and suspension, Chelsea found a breakthrough in the 70th minute. Reece James set up Cucurella, who headed in the winner. United had earlier seen a Harry Maguire goal ruled out for offside, while VAR also denied Chelsea a penalty after a review showed Andre Onana played the ball cleanly.
The Red Devils, sitting 16th, now have only one route to Europe: winning next week’s Europa League final against Tottenham in Bilbao.
Meanwhile, at Villa Park, Aston Villa boosted their Champions League chances with a 2-0 win over Spurs. Goals from Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara sealed the victory, lifting Villa into the Premier League’s top five.
Villa fans celebrated with a replica of their 1982 European Cup, hoping for a return to top-level European competition. However, Villa still need either Chelsea or Manchester City to drop points to fully control their fate.
Tottenham, already struggling this season, rested several key players ahead of the Europa League final. The loss was their 21st of the league season, leaving them in 17th place and facing their worst finish since the 1976/77 season.
Both Chelsea and Villa will now hope to finish strong in their final games as the battle for Champions League spots goes down to the wire.
