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Tottenham inches toward Champions League berth thanks to Son's last-gasp winner over Aston Villa

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean striker Son Heung-Min celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England on February 16, 2020. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /  (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-Min celebrates scoring his late match-winning goal on Sunday against Aston Villa (Justin Tallis/Getty)

Not only did Tottenham Hotspur win its third straight English Premier League match Sunday with a 3-2 victory away to Aston Villa thanks to some late heroics from Son Heung-min — Spurs also moved within a point of the Champions League places in the process.

The prospect of a fifth-consecutive Top Four finish was viewed as a pipe dream when Jose Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino as Tottenham’s manager in November, with the club languishing in the bottom half of the table. It seems unlikely as recently as last month, when Mourinho‘s side kicked off 2020 with a pair of losses and a scoreless draw with relegation-threatened Watford. How quickly things can change in the sport’s most competitive domestic competition.

Son converted his second goal of the match at Villa Park with just about the last kick of the ball in the 94th-minute:

The South Korean’s first strike of the contest came in first-half stoppage time, and it gave the visitors their first lead of the afternoon after Spurs central defender Toby Alderweireld scored twice in the opening half-hour — one for his team and once into his own net.

Son slotted home past Pepe Reina after the Villa keeper had saved his initial shot from the penalty spot:

The spot kick was awarded after the hosts’ Bjorn took down Steven Bergwijn in the box. But Engels made up for his error after the intermission, pulling Villa level with a powerful header past Hugo Lloris:

The equalizer came with more than 30 minutes of regular time still to play. Spurs continued to threaten. But as the clock ticked well past 90, it looked for all the world like it would be enough to earn the hosts a much-needed. Instead, Son’s unlikely winner left Villa perilously close to the drop zone, just a single point above 18th-place West Ham United in the 20-team Prem.

Tottenham, meantime, leaped over Sheffield United and into fifth place. They now trail London rival Chelsea by a single point, although the Blues have played one fewer game. Chelsea welcomes ninth-place Manchester United to Stamford Bridge on Monday in the most anticipated tilt of Week 26. A win for Frank Lampard’s team is far from a forgone conclusion, though, as Man United thumped the Blues 4-0 in the first meeting between the sides this campaign.