Manchester City's thrilling 2-0 victory against Everton on Saturday strengthened their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, while Aston Villa crushed Newcastle 4-1. Prior to Nico O'Reilly's goal in the 84th minute, City was on the verge of a devastating draw. Mateo Kovacic's goal in the closing seconds put City on track for a crucial victory. Pep Guardiola's team moves up to fourth position, but they are still only one point ahead of Villa, who are in sixth place and will play them on Tuesday.
After a poor season, City, who have won six of the previous seven seasons, are now only fighting for a Champions League spot at a point in the season when they are often involved in a fight for the championship. After a fiercely contested victory on Merseyside, they are still on track to meet their bare minimum goal of being among the top five.