Aston Villa secured their place in Europe next season and Hull City remained dangerously close to the relegation zone after John Carew gave the Midlanders a 1-0 Premier League victory Monday.
The battle between two of the least in-form teams in the league was decided after 34 minutes at Villa Park when Carew turned in a cross from Ashley Young following a sharp counter-attack.
It was Villa's first win in 13 games in all competitions and though they cannot now catch fourth-placed Arsenal [Images], it edged them back two points above Everton who are sixth.
Villa are now assured of a top-six finish and a place in the Europa League, next season's replacement for the UEFA [Images] Cup.
Hull, who have plummeted down the table after a flying start to their first season in the top flight, remain on 34 points, three points above third from bottom Newcastle United with three games remaining.
© Copyright 2009 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
|
