Spurs' Europa League hopes dented by Villa defeat

With fifth and sixth place finishes securing a place in next season's Europa League, Tottenham are involved in the scramble to make it into the tournament. Seventh place would bring entry into a play-off for the new Europa Conference League.

But Ryan Mason's sixth-placed side will have to wait until their last game of the season at Leicester on Sunday to discover their European destiny after a second defeat in their last three games.

Kane was named in Tottenham's starting line-up just days after reportedly telling the club he wants to leave. The England captain is keen to move on as he chases the first trophies of his career, with Manchester City, Manchester United and Paris Saint Germain among the clubs linked with the striker.

There were 10,000 fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as crowds return to stadiums on a limited basis after the UK eased coronavirus restrictions this week. Those supporters quickly urged Kane to stay as they chanted "Harry Kane, he's one of our own" before kick-off.

Tottenham's Steven Bergwijn was making his first league start since February and the Dutch winger celebrated his return with a superb strike in the eighth minute. Bergwijn robbed Marvelous Nakamba, held off two challenges and smashed a rising drive into the roof of the net from just inside the area for his first goal this season.

But Tottenham's lead lasted only 12 minutes as Sergio Reguilon scored a comical own goal, the left-back somehow managing to slice Nakamba's cross past Hugo Lloris from 16 yards out. Villa punished more sloppy Reguilon defending in the 39th minute when Bertrand Traore pressured the defender into surrendering possession, allowing Ollie Watkins to fire home from close-range.

Despite an improved second half, Tottenham couldn't staged a fightback and were booed off at full-time. The defeat leaves them in sixth, but they will fall down to seventh if West Ham escape defeat at already relegated West Brom later this Wednesday evening. Spurs face Leicester in their last game of the season - who will be fighting for the Champions League places - needing a win to have a chance of securing Europa League football next season.