Tottenham Hotspur boosted their hopes of a place in the Champions League next season with an impressive 4-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday – and their two late goals against Unai Emery's side could prove priceless.
After a goalless first half at Villa Park, James Maddison gave Spurs the lead early in the second period and Brennan Johnson made it 2-0 to the visitors with 53 minutes on the clock.
Villa's John McGinn was sent off after 65 minutes for a cynical challenge on Spurs' Destiny Udogie, but the scores remained the same going into added time.
However, with Villa tired in the closing stages, Ange Postecoglou's side went on to score a third and a fourth in an ultimately one-sided match.
Son Heung-min made it 3-0 after a cutback from Dejan Kulusevski in the 91st minute and in the fourth minute of stoppage time, the South Korean set up Timo Werner for another goal.
Tottenham remain in fifth, but are now just two points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa in the race for Champions League qualification and crucially, Spurs have a game in hand over the Birmingham outfit.
The Londonders' third and fourth goals could also be crucial if goal difference comes into the equation at the end of the season.
Before Sunday's game, Villa's goal difference was +22 and Tottenham's was +16, but the big margin has seen a significant swing in that metric.
The Villans' goal difference is now +18, while Spurs' is +20, meaning the two late strikes see Postecoglou's side overtake Unai Emery's men in that regard.
"I guess everyone else was billing this as a sort of do-or-die for us," Postecoglou said after the match. "I assume now, we're not dead yet."
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