James Milner.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON -- England midfielder James Milner scored to give Aston Villa a 2-1 win over Wigan and increase his team's chances of finishing in the English Premier League top four.

Milner gathered a botched clearance on the edge of the area and hit a shot through a crowded area for a 63rd-minute winner on Tuesday.

An own-goal by Wigan midfielder James McCarthy had given Villa a 25th-minute lead at DW Stadium but Gary Caldwell equalized two minutes later.

Villa stayed in seventh place but victory kept it within three points of Tottenham, which occupies the last Champions League spot, with a game in hand.