Aston Villa have qualified for next season’s Champions League after Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 defeat against Manchester City.
The result leaves Aston Villa five points clear of fifth-place Tottenham with one game remaining.
It means the club will play in the Champions League for the first time since the 1982-83 season. Villa last secured qualification for the competition, then known as the European Cup, after winning the 1982 European Cup, beating Bayern Munich in the final.
Villa ensured Spurs would need to beat City on Tuesday to keep the race for the final Champions League place alive ahead of the final game of the season after they came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Liverpool on Monday evening.
Jhon Duran scored in the 85th and 88th minute to preserve a point for Unai Emery’s side and left Spurs needing maximum points against title-chasing City.
But two second-half goals from Erling Haaland sealed a 2-0 win for City to keep their title tilt on track and deny Spurs Champions League football.
Emery was appointed Villa head coach in October 2022, joining from Villareal to replace Steven Gerrard.
Villa were 16th in the Premier League, two places and one point above the relegation zone when Emery took charge. Under the Spanish head coach’s guidance the club ended the season in seventh and secured qualification for the Europa Conference League, ensuring they would play European football for the first time in 13 years.
In his first full season in charge, Emery has led Villa to the Champions League for the first time in 41 years.
