Former Arsenal star and popular Pundit Paul Merson has suggested that Aston Villa are likely to leapfrog Tottenham Hotspur in the race for Champions League qualification.
Aston Villa are currently fourth in the league table, five points clear of Tottenham who are in fifth place.
The North London club have been quite impressive this season, but their defensive vulnerabilities have cost them crucial points.
Merson claims that Spurs are too open at the back and that could cost them dearly in the coming months. Tottenham’s high-intensity attacking football has attracted a lot of praise, but they will need to tighten up at the back if they want to finish the season strongly.
“I think Manchester United are a million miles off the race for a top-four spot at the moment, so it’s between Tottenham and Villa,” said Merson.
“At the moment, I think I’ll go for Villa to secure UEFA Champions League football next season as Spurs are too open at the back for my liking.”
They have invested in quality defenders like Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin. It will be interesting to see if they can help Spurs improve defensively.
Missing out on Champions League qualification would be a major blow for the North London outfit and they must do everything in their power to overtake Aston Villa in the table.