Stand your ground: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur match preview and team news

Villa took a step closer to the Champions League on Saturday without kicking a ball. Now they must hold their nerve and defend their advantage.

There are four matches left in the Premier League season and either one or two to go in the Europa League. This is what it’s all about. Drink it in. Soak up the pressure. It’s better than being on the beach, isn’t it?

Aston Villa are in a funny position. They’re pretty comfortably in fifth in the Premier League and they’d take that at the end of the season, yet their recent performances haven’t offered much reason to be confident they can collect the small number of points they need to stay there.

In the Europa League, they’ve got home advantage in the second leg but are behind on aggregate after the first. Everything feels like it’s on a knife edge and the next five days could decide a lot.

It’s easy to lose sight of just how close Villa are to locking in a Champions League place for next season. It might take one more win, just one more, to secure a place in the top five.

After Saturday’s results, there’s even a chance of today being the day. By the time Villa kick off against Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park this evening, they’ll know the result of AFC Bournemouth’s game against Crystal Palace.