'I think' - Aston Villa boss makes Newcastle United & Man Utd admission after European qualification twist

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery namechecked Newcastle United as a potential contender for a top-five place, despite sitting 13 points behind his side in the Premier League table.

Villa beat Arsenal 2-0 on Sunday while Tottenham Hotspur dropped out of the top four following a 4-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday. Newcastle’s win took them up to sixth in the table but still 10 points behind Spurs in fifth and 13 behind Villa in fourth heading into the final six games.

Villa have played a game more than the teams around them but could secure a top-five spot ahead of Newcastle and Manchester United by the end of the month. Newcastle and Man United have a slightly more realistic chance of catching Spurs as they look to close a 10-point gap with 18 points up for grabs.

Ange Postecoglou’s side still have Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City left to play in their final six matches.

Aston Villa have not qualified for the Champions League in the Premier League era but could do so this season with a fourth place finish. There is also the possibility of fifth place earning a spot in next season’s competition depending on UEFA’s end-of-season league coefficients.

England currently sit third behind Italy and Germany in UEFA’s 2023-24 coefficients, which is based on performance in this season’s competitions. With the quarter-finals currently taking place, England still have a chance of breaking into the top two which would be rewarded with an extra spot in next season’s Champions League.

While Villa have been competing at the top end of the division since very early on in the season, Emery has remained calm regarding his side’s chances of finishing in the top five.

But after the weekend’s results, the Spaniard said via BBC Sport: “We are at 33 [games] and now we can feel contenders to be in the top five.”

“We have been fighting with Tottenham but still Man United and Newcastle, I think both teams will and can get points. So we have to be very demanding of ourselves.”

While Newcastle and Manchester United are highly unlikely to catch Villa given the small number of games remaining, there is growing confidence that a strong end to the season could see them catch a floundering Spurs side.

Newcastle defender Dan Burn said after Saturday’s 4-0 win: “Of course we think we can catch Spurs.

“We spoke about it before the game that they were 13 points ahead of us, but they have a tough run-in and if we could lay down a marker and beat them, then they will always be looking over their shoulder.”

But head coach Eddie Howe was more reserved when asked about his side’s chances of gatecrashing the top five for a second successive season.

“I think we'll just try and win every game,” he said. “There are six games to go, let's just give our best.”