LONDON: Tottenham moved ahead in the race to qualify for the Champions League after a 3-0 win at Wigan lifted them into fourth place following Manchester City and Liverpool’s 0-0 draw on Sunday.

Harry Redknapp’s team had started the day in sixth place but, with City and Liverpool forced to settle for a stalemate, it was Spurs who ended the weekend in the final Champions League slot thanks to Jermain Defoe’s goal and a late double from Roman Pavlyuchenko at the DW Stadium.

Tottenham won for just the second time in seven league games and are above City on goal difference. Defoe looked offside when he turned in Gareth Bale’s 27th minute cross before Pavlyuchenko came on for Defoe in the closing stages and delivered a double blow. The Russian struck in the 84th when he converted Luka Modric’s pass and he added his second in stoppage time following a goalmouth scramble.

Aston Villa remain firmly in the hunt for a Champions League place after thrashing Burnley 5-2. Second from bottom Burnley had taken the lead in the 10th minute through Steven Fletcher, but Ashley Young equalised before half-time. Stewart Downing put Villa ahead in the 56th minute before notching his second in the 58th minute.

Emile Heskey turned in Villa’s fourth three minutes later before Gabriel Agbonlahor added the fifth in the 68th. Martin Paterson scored the second in the stoppage time for Burnley.

Fulham striker Bobby Zamora fired the Cottagers into ninth place as his stoppage time free-kick secured a dramatic 2-1 win over Birmingham. Roy Hodgson’s team fell behind in the third minute when defender Chris Baird headed Lee Bowyer’s cross into his own net. But Damien Duff equalised for the hosts in the 59th minute and Zamora smash in a free-kick in the dying moments.

Blackburn romped to a 3-0 win over Bolton. Blackburn took the 41st lead through Nikola Kalinic. Jason Roberts came added the second in the 73rd before Gael Givet added the in the 84th minute.