Aston Villa 0-4 Tottenham: Spurs close gap on Champions League rivals with ruthless display
Tottenham thrashed Aston Villa 4-0 to move within two points of their Champions League rivals, as Unai Emery's side imploded after John McGinn's second-half red card.
McGinn was sent off with almost half an hour to go for taking out Destiny Udogie when Spurs were already 2-0 up through goals from James Maddison and Brennan Johnson three minutes apart early in the second half.
Heung-Min Son and substitute Timo Werner scored in stoppage-time to punish Villa and claim a statement win, which closes the gap on Unai Emery's side and swings the goal difference in their favour.
Villa are now at the mercy of Spurs in the race for Champions League football as they have played a game more. McGinn will also miss key games against West Ham, Wolves and Man City through suspension.
Spurs did suffer a blow though when defender Micky van de Ven had to come off injured just before Maddison's opener. They will be hoping he can return for the run-in as they look to build on their first back-to-back league wins of 2024.
Unai Emery sprung a surprise with his team selection, fielding a back five knowing that a draw would leave Villa in full control of the race for Champions League football. The decision ended up backfiring with his side struggling for the fluency that has brought them here.
Neither side impressed in the first half, which passed without a shot on target, as both teams struggled to deal with the occasion. Villa came closest right before the break, but Lucas Digne headed wide after McGinn found him with a cross following a short corner.
Spurs suffered a blow early in the second half when Van de Ven, who had a hamstring injury earlier in the season, had to be taken off. The visitors were undeterred though as they swept past Villa to take
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