Midfielder Youri Tielemans has set Chelsea as Aston Villa’s benchmark, insisting that finishing above them will secure Champions League football.
The Belgian midfielder believes overtaking Enzo Maresca’s side would guarantee Villa’s return to Europe’s elite competition.
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Despite a five-game winless streak, Unai Emery’s men remain just five points off fourth place.
Tielemans stated: “Chelsea are right in front of us. We want to compete with them.
“Our performance against Liverpool was really good. We had a lot of chances towards the end.
“We were very good. We competed for every ball and Chelsea are a big opponent for us because we want to be where they are. We want to be close to them - in front of them - to get into the Champions League and realise our ambitions.
“We have to believe. We are still in the race. We have a lot of games left but we just need to win them.”