By Matt Hardy
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has insisted being top four contenders is not on the table but that European qualification would be a good result for the season after his side beat West Ham 4-1 at Villa Park yesterday to move within two points of the summit of the Premier League table.
Douglas Luiz netted the first of his brace in the 30th minute when Ollie Watkins teed up the Brazil international before the South American central midfielder added another from the spot after Edson Alvarez fouled Ezri Konsa in the box.
Jarrod Bowen halved the deficit with a freak deflected goal before Watkins got one of his own, and Villa’s third, with a powerful left-foot finish on the counter.
Leon Bailey added the icing on the Midlands cake with one minute of the regulation 90 remaining to put any comeback to bed.
Villa on the up
The result means Villa are on a run of 11 home league wins and the victory sends the club fifth in the Premier League table, two points off the top.
“We are not contenders to be in the top four or in the top seven teams in the beginning but of course we need to take our dreams,” Emery said.
“One of our dreams is to be with the top seven teams and to do something in Europe.
“To get European football is very important and that is the work we need to try to do. We need to be consistent in what we are doing.”
Elsewhere in the Premier League this weekend: Arsenal and Chelsea played out a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge while Nottingham Forest surrendered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Luton.
There were wins for Brentford, Wolves, Newcastle United and Manchester United while Liverpool were 2-0 winners in the Merseyside derby and Manchester City held on to beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
