Tottenham suffered a third consecutive defeat to watch their top-four hopes virtually end at Stamford Bridge.
Aston Villa have waited over four decades for a European semi-final and will have to do it the hard way if they are to end the season with a trophy.
Ange Postecoglou has been insistent that Champions League football is “not a Willy Wonka golden ticket” for Tottenham Hotspur, and that growth as a team is more important than finishing in the top four. His problem is that, on this trajectory, Spurs are heading for neither.