Aston Villa are closer to the top of the Premier League than sixth place with only eight fixtures remaining this season.
Unai Emery's side collected their 18th league win of the season against Wolves on Saturday night, putting another crucial three points on the board in their quest to qualify for Champions League football. Ahead of a trip to the Etihad Stadium in midweek, Villa are 11 points clear (plus a superior goal difference) of Manchester United, who - for reference - will have to win seven of their remaining nine games to reach 69 points, with Villa just three victories away from 68.
Tottenham managed to claim their fourth league win in five before Villa kicked off against Wolves as they scored late on against Luton Town and it would appear that the race for the top four is going down to the wire. Largely dependent on the next round of European fixtures, a fifth-placed finish could be enough to enter next season's Champions League.
READ | I watched Aston Villa claim key win in top four race - player ratings after 2-0 victory vs Wolves
Here are the talking points from Villa's win over Wolves..
UNAI EMERY: VILLA WERE SERIOUS
Villa hadn't won any of their last six home Premier League games against Wolves before Saturday, last claiming victory in 2003. Gary O'Neil's side travelled to Villa Park with a depleted frontline with Hwang Hee-chan, Pedro Neto and Matheus Cunha all injured.
Credit where credit's due, Wolves made things difficult for the hosts at the start of both halves, but Villa's quality eventually told. At this stage of the season, putting points on the board is what matters above anything else, but even still, Emery was delighted with how his players responded to a slow start.
"We did really well," Emery told Sky Sports. "The first 20 minutes we started a bit soft in everything. Even when we scored [the offside goal] we then conceded some big chances.
"Then we controlled it better. In the first half we were suffering a bit with Nelson Semedo and Pablo Sarabia. We tried to reduce that better in the second half. We were disciplined and had control of the game more or less, even when they dominated a little bit, we were defensively focused to do well.
"We were speaking before the match about the injuries we had and we needed to try to work with every player in the season. I want more of course. To score a goal in different ways is very important. But overall I am happy because we were very organised in the 90 minutes and we did well to create our chances to score. We are happy for Ezri Konsa but we have to try to think about how to get better options for every player to score goals.
"The challenge we have is to go to Manchester City [next]. We have to try to prepare the best possible way with the players we have. We have to try to do our best and keep going to be consistent. We are happy with the three points today and it is very important so we need to enjoy that as well."
EZRI KONSA'S 'PERFECT' WEEK
After making his England debut and then his first start for the Three Lions in the March international break, Konsa capped his return to club duties with his first goal of the season. Charging beyond Moussa Diaby down the right flank, Konsa received the ball and clipped the ball to the back post, before it struck the woodwork and trickled over the line - did he mean it? Does it matter? No!
It was the crucial goal Villa needed to kill Wolves off, but it certainly came from an unlikely source. Just before half-time, Konsa carried the ball inside the pitch from the right and as the opportunity to shoot opened up, he struck the ball with his left foot, but his wild effort flew into the North Stand. The defender was seen shrugging at fans in the stand after the referee blew up for half-time, probably laughing at his own shot as he made his way down the tunnel.
"It was the perfect week," he told Sky Sports. "We spoke before and wanted to get the win and focus on our game. We got the three points and I managed to grab a goal myself. I meant it and I'm really pleased.
"I believe in myself and ever since the boss has come in, I've grown a lot as a player and a man and I want to continue doing that under the boss.
"We knew we had to win after Tottenham's result earlier and we did that. I don't remember the last time we had a clean sheet. it's always good to keep the ball out the net as a defender.
"We've had a few injuries to key players this season but we've managed to get results when it matters. The games have been coming thick and fast."
MOUSSA DIABY REDISCOVERING FORM
Diaby has now scored five goals and recorded seven assists this Premier League season, becoming the fifth player to score five or more goals and provide five or more assists in his first Premier League season for the club.
After playing an instrumental part in Villa's latest win, he has now recorded four goal contributions in his last four league games. The France international is starting to rediscover the form he was showing at the start of the campaign. It's the perfect time to do so with only seven weeks of the league season remaining.
Diaby's performance was made all the most impressive considering he is fasting for Ramadan. The match was halted in the second half to allow Diaby and Wolves' Rayan Ait-Nouri to break their fast. Diaby gulped down a drink and had a bite to eat before resuming play.
ALEX MORENO STRUGGLES
Alex Moreno has started 10 of Villa's last 11 Premier League games, but he has struggled for form in recent weeks. Despite only joining Villa in January of last year, the left-back had a claim of being nominated as one of the club's players of the season last term.
But he hasn't replicated the levels he showed under Emery last season, before he sustained a hamstring injury in May. To his credit, Moreno didn't misplace a single pass to a teammate on Saturday, but his crossing was wayward and his decision making in the final third wasn't up to scratch.
“He played today higher than normal because I think we could exploit him attacking higher," Emery said in his post-match press conference. "He got in the opponent box many times but the crosses he did weren’t finding the good solutions for our strikers. He wasn’t clinical crossing. But I like and appreciate a lot today how he played higher and tried to get again his performances like he had before.
“Of course, defensively as well, with more on the left side we were struggling a bit because Sarabia and Semedo had good movement. It’s true that when we changed with Lucas [Digne] and [Nicolo] Zaniolo, one reason from me was for it [the struggle] and we did better.”
Moreno was an outlet for much of the match and threatened to make things happen on the left, but there was one occasion where Ollie Watkins was frustrated not to have the chance to use him after Luiz won a free-kick. The Villa striker wanted to play a quick free-kick around 35 yards from goal, but Moreno was looking down, sorting his socks out instead.
TYRONE MINGS ROUSES VILLA PARK CROWD
Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia are both making strong progress from the devastating ACL injuries they suffered in the same week back in August. They are often watching their teammates at Villa Park and Mings roused the crowd when a camera picked him up in the stands.
He was sat alongside John McGinn in the director's box and after being cheered by fans when the pictures came on the big screens at Villa Park, Mings then gave a thumbs up, drawing a huge ovation from supporters so eager to see him back on the pitch and playing again.
