A double whammy of defeats for English clubs was bad news for Tottenham, with the Premier League now almost certain to miss out on an extra Champions League spot.
Exits for Arsenal and Manchester City, plus Bayern Munich following Borussia Dortmund into the Champions League semi-finals, means Germany are in pole position above England in UEFA’s coefficient rankings.
Italy has secured one of the two extra spots and England now needs a miracle to finish above Germany.
The race for the extra Champions League spot could be over on Thursday night, with Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 up from the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against West Ham and Liverpool needing a miracle to avoid going out to Atalanta.
Mission clear: Tottenham must finish fourth to qualify for the Champions League next season (REUTERS)
Spurs are now likely to need to finish fourth to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Ange Postecoglou’s side are currently fifth, three points behind Aston Villa, after their 4-0 hammering at Newcastle on Saturday.
Spurs do still have a game in hand, but they still have to play title contenders Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City and fierce London rivals Chelsea before the end of the campaign.
