Aston Villa moved in to the top five in the Premier League table by thumping West Ham 4-1 for an 11th straight league win at Villa Park.
Douglas Luiz’s brace, including a second-half penalty, plus goals from Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey means they are now just two points off the top.
Jarrod Bowen’s deflected effort made it 2-1 but the hosts recovered for Watkins to smash in a crucial third before Bailey wrapped things up late on.
As a result, for the first time this season Villa - transformed under Unai Emery - were cut into odds-on to finish in the top six.
Betfair and Paddy Power price both Emery's side and Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton at 10/11, meaning they're currently considered more likely than Manchester United (11/10) to finish in the top six.
Premier League Top 6 Finish (odds via Sky Bet)
- Manchester City 1/250
- Arsenal 1/33
- Liverpool 1/16
- Tottenham 2/7
- Newcastle 4/9
- Manchester Utd 1/1
- Aston Villa 6/5
- Brighton 6/5
- Chelsea 11/8
- West Ham 11/1
Odds correct at 1900 BST (22/10/23)
Value in Villa for top six?
Most other firms still have Emery's side as significant outsiders, with a best price of 7/4 available, which feels a touch generous.
But what is no surprise, especially given what was witnessed on Sunday, is that it is around that mark that the line is drawn.
After including Chelsea as the final team in their 'top nine', the bookies then take a giant leap to West Ham at between 11 and 14/1.
Limited Hammers laid bare
Now five points adrift of Villa after slipping to just a third defeat of the season, David Moyes' side struggled to match their hosts other than for a 10-minute spell in the second half, instigated by Bowen's fortunate goal.
They may be the Conference League holders and 2022 Europa League semi-finalists but the bookmakers merely consider them as the best mid-table team in the division - not one likely to disrupt the orthodoxy.
And it is hard to argue with that given what we saw on Sunday.
Moyes this week insisted he is in no rush to open contract talks, with the 60 year old's deal expiring at the end of the season.
The accepted view has been that the West Ham hierarchy will want him to stay.
On Sunday, Emery's Villa provided the blueprint for what a bold attempt at progress looks like.
Depends how bold they're feeling in east London.
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