Tottenham and Chelsea lose options in the fight for Champions League places

Two of the aspirants to end the season in the Top 4 and play in the next Champions League, Tottenham (5th) and Chelsea (8th), are moving away from the fight after Spurs lost 2-0 this Sunday against Aston Villa (12th) and the ‘Blues’ won’t go beyond a tie on their visit to Nottingham (18th), at the close of the 18th date of the Premier League.

The Argentine Emiliano Buendía (50) and the Brazilian Douglas Luiz (73) dealt two blows to the Spurs, who had unsuccessfully pressed the goal defended by the Swede Robin Olsen before the substitution of the recently crowned world champion Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martínez.

Yes, Hugo Lloris started for the first time since the World Cup final in Qatar and a bad block by the Frenchman facilitated the recovery of Ollie Watkins, who assisted Buendía in the first goal of the team coached by Unai Emery.

After Manchester United’s victory on Saturday in Wolverhampton (1-0), the ‘Red Devils’, with one game less than Tottenham, snatched fourth position from Spurs, the last one that gives direct access to the Champions League in the english football.

The defeat puts the team coached by Antonio Conte in a delicate position and leaves their rivals in the race for Europe with options to catch up with them.

Things are not going better for Chelsea, who this Sunday had a great opportunity to add the three points by visiting a Nottingham who is fighting to avoid relegation.

Raheem Sterling put the ‘Bleus’ ahead in a lucky play for the visitors, as the English striker took advantage of a rebound from a defender who hit the crossbar to score on an empty goal (16th).

But the team coached by Graham Potter, following the dynamics of the season, gradually allowed the ground to be eaten up and Forest increased their pressure on Kepa Arrizabalaga’s goal until Serge Aurier from Ivory Coast managed to beat the Spanish goalkeeper in a a confusing play inside the area in which the London defenders failed to clear the ball (63).

With this point, Chelsea is 8th, seven points behind Manchester United.

Just after the 18th matchday, the 19th matchday begins on Monday, with the visit of Liverpool (6th, 28 points) to Brentford (10th).

Results of the matches of the 18th day of the English football championship, and classification table:

Friday:

West Ham – Brentford 0 – 2

Liverpool – Leicester 2 – 1

Saturday:

Wolverhampton – Manchester United 0 – 1

Manchester City – Everton 1 – 1

Newcastle – Leeds 0 – 0

AFC Bournemouth – Crystal Palace 0 – 2

Fulham – Southampton 2 – 1

Brighton – Arsenal 2 – 4

Sunday:

Tottenham – Aston Villa 0 – 2

Nottingham Forest – Chelsea 1 – 1 (D)