Tottenham are still hoping to secure a spot in the Champions League next season, despite their slim chance.
The Premier League is to be over soon, but the competition for certain spots in Europe is still open, probably till the very last minute. Spurs are one of the teams that could topple Aston Villa, currently sitting fourth, for the last place in the Champions League. The Villans do have seven points clear of Ange Postecoglu’s men, with a better goal difference too, 20 against 11 so far. However, they have already played 36 games. Tottenham, on the other hand, have one extra game, with 60 points in 35 matches.
Son Heung Min and Co. have also been handed another advantage over their Birmingham rival since they have no other tournament to focus on, whereas the Villans are still aiming for silverware in the UEFA Conference League. Their focus will be splitting, especially after their stunning 4-2 loss at home while playing host to Olympiakos in the first leg of the semifinal last week. The injury of their key man between the sticks, Emiliano Martinez, has only made it worse. Unai Emery’s men will be visiting Greece for the second leg this Friday.
In the meantime, the Spurs have been on a negative trend. They have suffered five defeats in the last eight matches. Ange Postecoglu’s side even went empty-handed in the last four outings. Understandably, many have doubts about whether they could eventually climb up to the fourth, despite having one game extra. Spurs could even miss out on continental competition if Newcastle, which is only four points behind, managed to pick up all nine points while they stumbled twice.
The only objective for Spurs right now is to maximise every chance they have. Securing nine points would be crucial, especially as they have two matches at home while hoping Aston Villa slips in their remaining fixtures. Tottenham tickets would surely be in high demand for the last games on their home turf.
Tottenham vs. Burnley
Vincent Kompany’s men are their first opponent in their crucial weeks. Playing host to the Clarets should give them a huge advantage in ending their winless run. Son Heung Min and Co. must not waste the opportunity, even though they might still be able to field several key men in the squad.
Seven players are set to be sidelined due to their injuries. Unfortunately, left-back Destiny Udogie and RB Leipzig loanee Timo Werner are included. Five other names who have to sit out against Burnley this weekend are Ben Davies, Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon, Frasier Forster, and Alfie Whiteman. All seem to be unavailable until the season breaks.
Considering the situation, the Australian boss should not worry too much, as he still has sufficient names in the squad, except for the left-back position. Mickey Van Den could be deployed there to cover Udogie’s absence, while the centre-back position could be given to their new signing, Radu Dragusin, to be paired up with Cristian Romero. Emerson Royale could be given the last chance to prove himself too, since he is likely to be put on sale as part of the management’s plan to clear out those who have not been performing well this season. A narrow win should be secured in this fixture.
Tottenham vs. Manchester City
This is probably the hardest task left for the Spurs, as the Citizens are very much still in the title race. This postponed game is also an advantage for Pep Guardiola’s men to steal the top spot from the Gunners.
From Spurs’ die-hard fans’ point of view, their win could help their arch-rival stay on top and clinch their first Premier League title, but failing to win might endanger their chance to take over Aston Villa’s position. It is truly a dilemma. Nevertheless, their target should come first, which means a three-point here is necessary to save their campaign.
The only problem with Tottenham that raises doubt over their chance to beat the reigning champions is their players and teams’ inconsistency. Earlier this season, they seemed unstoppable, as they were able to thump Manchester United 2-0, crush Liverpool 2-1, hammer Newcastle United 4-1, and hold Manchester City in a 3-3 draw on the road. However, the table was turning in the second half of the season. Postecoglu’s men were hapless, especially while taking on the top teams. All of their last four consecutive losses came from those elite sides: the Magpies, the Gunners, the Blues, and the Reds.
Postecoglu’s option here would be either focusing on keeping a clean sheet and employing a quick counterattack to score or coming up with unusual tactics to lay traps on Erling Haaland and Co., perhaps taking the reference from Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen to pick up three points. Deploying Giovanni Lo Celso as the false nine supported by Richarlison while Son Heung Min is operating wide and rather deep in the left flank in a 4-4-2 formation could be an option. A draw seems to be a reasonable result here.
Sheffield United vs. Tottenham
This last game might not have any impact on Spurs’ position in the final standings should they fail to secure six points in the previous two matches. Yet, if they do, then the game at Bramall Lane is their last hope to finish in the top four.
The Blades have been relegated, which means they would play without any burden on their shoulders, whereas Spurs could be under huge pressure unless they have no objection to competing in the Europa League or, even worse, the UEFA Conference League next season.
The only advantage they have is the disappointing results of the home side. Sander Berge and co. have conceded 100 goals so far and only managed to collect less than 20 points throughout the season, which is surely one of the worst in Premier League history. Tottenham should have no difficulty securing three points on the road here. The real question is whether John McGinn and Co. stumble or not in both remaining fixtures.