Villa’s hopes hang by a thread

MARTIN O’NEILL’S season is unravelling. Villa Park is now resembling a graveyard for his Champions League dreams, after Tottenham handed their unloved neighbours Arsenal a huge favour in their quest for a top-four finish.

Redknapp can probably expect a bottle of red from Arsene Wenger after this deserved victory, sealed by goals from Jermaine Jenas and Darren Bent, inflicted another huge dent in Villa’s ambitions of gatecrashing English football’s established elite.

O’Neill whisked his players away to Dubai last week to recharge their batteries but they look to be running on empty. John Carew secured a late consolation but Villa have only secured two league wins on their own turf since December and the optimism that had been building so steadily towards the end of last year is evaporating with each passing week.