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.

The renaissance of Arsenal has come at the worst possible time for O’Neill and this damaging defeat leaves Villa in fifth place, with an inferior goal difference to Arsenal. For Villa, the result was about as depressing as the next two fixtures — trips to Liverpool and Manchester United.

“I’m bitterly disappointed,” said O’Neill. “It’s still possible for us to finish fourth, though recent form doesn’t suggest so.

“I genuinely believe we’re capable but more importantly the players feel that as well. It doesn’t look as if we can do it but we’ve got nine games to go and plenty of points to play for.

“This is a setback for us and we’ve got to get something from the next two games.”

It was sweet revenge for Redknapp, who was the target of a coin thrown by a Villa supporter earlier this season while he was still in charge of previous club Portsmouth. His side rode their luck in the first half but victories are the only currency he requires in his survival mission.

The first goal was always going to prove crucial. Neither of these sides had lost a league game this season in which they have opened the scoring.

And just as the Villa fans in the Holte End began to bait Redknapp, they were swiftly silenced when Spurs took a fourth minute lead.

Aaron Lennon’s cross from the right caught Brad Friedel in two minds and the goalkeeper’s attempted punch went awry, presenting Jenas with a simple header from four yards. “Champions League, you’re having a laugh,” was the inevitable taunt from the visiting supporters.

Spurs were forced to weather a substantial storm after taking such an early lead with Didier Zokora enduring a nightmare afternoon at the hands of Ashley Young.

Young tormented Zokora for large spells in the first half, before the makeshift defender was put out of his misery by being substituted. Stiliyan Petrov drilled over while Gareth Barry forced a smart reflex save from the mercurial Heurelho Gomes in the 12th minute.

Villa’s frustrations only increased in injury time when Heskey rose majestically to head Barry’s volleyed cross against the crossbar. Indeed, there was a sense of sheer disbelief that Villa had failed to make their complete dominance count.

Disbelief became incredulity four minutes into the second half when Spurs added a second. Wilson Palacios’ shot was saved by Friedel but Robbie Keane pounced to beat the Villa keeper, with Bent scraping the ball over the goal line just to make sure.

Substitute Carew headed a James Milner cross into the top corner with six minutes remaining but there was to be no grandstand finish.

While Villa’s ambitions are sputtering and dying, Redknapp can now smell survival. “I think we’ll need another two wins to stay up but I’ve been delighted with the players,” he said. “We’ve got 33 points from my 21 games and that is a very good return.

“Nobody can predict how this league is going to turn out. But I still think Arsenal will get that fourth spot — they’ve got some fantastic players coming back and that’s just my opinion.

“Some Spurs fans were saying to me they wanted us to lose at Villa because if we won we would help Arsenal — I’ve never heard anything like it!”

REFEREE: Steve Bennett (Kent) 7: No major errors and it wasn’t a niggly game. All the bookings were deserved.

MATCH RATING: *** Martin O’Neill is looking more haunted by the week, even if this was one of Villa’s better recent displays.