Results could always turn out differently in the Premier League. On the whole, Matchday 36 worked out beautifully in Aston Villa's favor. Nottingham Forest dropped points against Leicester City, and the Arsenal draw would have been better for Villa had they lost, but it still works in the favor of AVFC.
With six points up for grabs for everyone, it's not sealed, but if the Villans win their remaining fixtures, a lot of their destiny appears to be in their own hands.
Earlier results make it so that Villa will have to edge someone out on points. The goal differential part of this equation greatly works against Unai Emery's side. Still, from all hope being lost, according to some of the fan base, to now there being a realistic chance at making it into the top European competition despite the poor GD, it shows how much is left to play for in the two remaining fixtures.
Maybe it will be enough to warrant being included in graphics, a possibility that is probably too much of a stretch among the rest of the media.
Regardless of what happens in the rest of the Prem, the first responsibility, of course, is for Villa to win and continue seizing the remaining three-point opportunities. Laying out paths to progress up the standings does little good if the Villans fail to keep the pressure on those above them.
Either way, what this past weekend should show is how malleable things are in the EPL. Teams like Forest looked like a certainty for Champions League at one point. Now Villa are ahead of Nottingham and primed to sneak into the top five.
Chelsea match has huge implications for Aston Villa
Interestingly enough, the biggest boost happened regarding the Chelsea match. Not only did the Blues lose to Newcastle, but Nicolas Jackson also picked up a red card. With even Ruben Amorim questioning his deservingness of being the manager of Man Utd, that United-Chelsea match could be an excellent opportunity for Villa to overtake the London club.
First will be the rescheduled Tottenham fixture for Villa on Friday. Interestingly enough, because of that being the earlier kick-off, the match immediately following at Stamford Bridge will be of great interest to Villa supporters.