Aston Villa clinched fourth place in the English Premier League (EPL) with Tottenham’s loss to Manchester City.
Tottenham fell 0-2 to Manchester City on Friday (Aug. 15) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, in the 34th round of the 2023-2024 EPL.
The result denied fifth-place Tottenham (63 points) a top-four finish. They cannot catch fourth-place Aston Villa (68 points) with one game remaining.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, clinched fourth place and secured a UEFA Champions League (UCL) spot for next season. Even if they lose at Crystal Palace on April 20, they won’t be able to overtake Tottenham.
Villa watched the Spurs-Man City match live on Sunday. The team, led by head coach Unai Emery, gathered together to watch Spurs lose, and then popped champagne to celebrate their fourth-place finish. Spurs’ misery was Villa’s joy.
Emery, in particular, was celebrating with both hands in the air, and for good reason. Villa had just booked their first UCL ticket in 41 years.
It was an unforgettable night for Villa, but a hellish night for Son Heung-min.
Despite playing the full time on this day, 안전놀이터 he missed two great chances and had to watch his team lose. Son’s first missed opportunity came in the third minute of the second half when the score was 0-0. With possession on the right flank, Brennan Johnson saw Son Heung-min closing in on the keeper and sent a low, quick cross into the box. He tried to shoot inside the defense, but was too close to the keeper to make the save. Coincidentally, Tottenham conceded a goal soon after. Holland got a foot to a ground ball cross from the right and rattled the Spurs net. City took a 1-0 lead.
Son Heung-min made another ‘big chance’. In the 40th minute of the second half, with the score at 1-0, a City pass in the middle of the field was cleared. With the City defense completely unmarked, Son Heung-min quickly drove the ball into the box. His speed was so great that the defenders who rushed to mark him were unable to do so. In a one-on-one with the goalkeeper that seemed like it was never going to happen, Son unleashed a steady inside shot that was denied by a super-save. Tottenham conceded again almost immediately. In the first minute of second-half stoppage time, a foul in the box earned them a penalty kick. Holland stepped up to take the spot-kick and slotted it home.