Tottenham's Champions League hopes take huge hit as Aston Villa leapfrog them

Tottenham Hotspur's slim advantage over Aston Villa in the Champions League race has been obliterated by Newcastle United, pushing Unai Emery's squad back into the coveted top four spots.

Spurs had a slight edge over Villa at the weekend's outset, with a superior goal difference of three placing them in fourth position. But a disastrous outing at St James' Park not only erased that lead but also completely reversed the fortunes of the north London outfit.

The calamity for Tottenham began when Alexander Isak manoeuvred past Micky van de Ven to score the first goal around the 30-minute mark. Before the Newcastle fans could even recover, it was 2-0.

Van de Ven found himself in trouble once again, with Anthony Gordon capitalising on this occasion to double the lead. The situation worsened in the second half when key defender Pedro Porro was taken off due to a suspected hamstring injury and Newcastle added a third via Isak. Fabian Schar's powerful header sealed the rout three minutes before the end.

This crushing loss means Ange Postecoglou's team have slipped to fifth in the Premier League standings with a +16 goal difference. Meanwhile, despite having not yet kicked a ball this weekend, Villa have climbed back into the top four with a goal difference of +17.

The West Midlands outfit have a golden opportunity to capitalise on the result this Sunday as they head to the Emirates Stadium for the Premier League's late kick-off. Emery will be well aware of the challenge that awaits against his former club, who are currently in the thick of this season's title race.

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