Aston Villa have had their chances of finishing in fourth place rated by Opta, following Unai Emery’s side’s win over Bournemouth on Sunday.
After beating Arsenal at the Emirates in the Premier League, it was integral that Aston Villa built some momentum against Bournemouth on Sunday.
The Villans did exactly that, taking a huge leap towards Champions League qualification by extending their lead in fourth place by six points.
READ MORE: Aston Villa player ratings v Bournemouth
Spurs have two games in hand on the Midlands club however, the Lilywhites still have the top three left to play, in what will be a challenging final six games for the Villa’s top-four rivals.
Still, Villa will be wholly focused on themselves, with four games left to play in their 2023/24 Premier League journey, as well as still having the chance to claim European silverware after making the semi-final of the Europa Conference League.
After coming from behind to beat Bournemouth at Villa Park on Sunday, Unai Emery has seen his side’s chances of finishing in the top four boosted.
Aston Villa chances of qualifying for the Champions League rated by Opta after Bournemouth win
As mentioned, collecting three points against the Cherries saw Villa extend their lead in the top four by six points, with Spurs now facing an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League.
Following the win over Bournemouth, Opta rated their predictions on how the Premier League table will be after the final game, with Villa now handed an 80.8% chance of finishing fourth.
It’s remarkable that Emery has powered his side towards putting one foot in the mix for qualifying for next season’s tournament, particularly while balancing European and Premier League form.
Based on Opta’s data, Spurs have a slim 19.0% chance of finishing fourth as Villa look to finish the campaign strongly with just four games remaining.
Aston Villa deserve a lot of credit for their Champions League push
The work that Emery and his squad have put in this season is admirable, with the Villans now firm favourites to finish in the top four behind Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal.
On top of contending with some powerhouses in the Premier League, the Spaniard has had the adaptability of his squad truly tested, with Villa losing a staggering three players to season-ending ACL injuries, on top of a host of less-severe absences.
From juggling the gruelling Thursday-Sunday schedule to weathering their injury storm, Villa are on course to qualify for a place among Europe’s elite, something that many could’ve only dreamed of when Emery took charge of Steven Gerrard’s 17th-place side.
