The result leaves Tottenham four points behind North London rivals Arsenal with three matchdays remaining. While this may seem like an almost insurmountable gap to overcome, it must be kept in mind that Tottenham next play against the Gunners in what will surely be one of the most hotly-contested North London derbies in years. Only a victory will do for Tottenham; fail to do so and they can forget about the Champions League next season. That being said, a victory over Arsenal would not be unrealistic by any means. It would also leave Tottenham just one point behind the Champions League berths with two matches remaining.
Tottenham's future might very well hinge on their qualification for the Champions League. Fail to do so and they might see player after player leave Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the coming off-season. It isn't out of the question that the likes of Hugo Lloris, Lucas Moura, Eric Dier, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, and maybe, just maybe, even one or both of their superstar strike duo of Son and Harry Kane could seek an exit following a third consecutive failure to qualify - something that hasn't happened since the 2014-15 season.
As the club regarded as the least "glamorous" of the three major London teams, Tottenham arguably need a Champions League berth more than do Chelsea and Arsenal in order to boost their chances of attracting top players to the club. Tottenham have been linked with players including Marc Cucurella, João Palhinha, and Jordan Pickford. Tottenham are also expected to turn Dejan Kulusevski's loan stint from Juventus into a permanent move. However, these players might just opt out of choosing Tottenham if they cannot participate on the biggest continental stage.
A failure to qualify for the Champions League might also cause head coach Antonio Conte to leave Tottenham at the end of the season. He has presided over a rather tumultuous period ever since taking the position in November last year. Conte even publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the team in general following a loss to Burnley in a Premier League match in February. Having achieved tremendous success at clubs such as Juventus, Chelsea, and Inter Milan, Conte's Tottenham stint has been a reality check. It would not be a surprise to see the Italian consider his options if Tottenham miss out on next season's Champions League.
Having said all of this, Tottenham nevertheless have at least a puncher's chance at a late rally to snatch fourth place from Arsenal. If they win out, they will finish on 71 points. After the North London derby, Tottenham's final two league matches will be against Burnley and Norwich City - two likely gimmes. Arsenal, on the other hand, still have Newcastle away. Win that and they more or less clinch fourth. However, that match also presents the clearest opportunity for either North London club to drop points after the derby. If Arsenal lose the derby, fail to beat Newcastle, but beat Everton, they will finish on either 69 or 70 points - not enough to deny Tottenham in this scenario.
Given their position in the league, all the pressure will be off Tottenham as they embark on the final stretch. Of course, even a final charge might prove to be too little, too late. Although many clubs won't be overly affected by one missed Champions League qualification, Tottenham Hotspur are not one of them. It really is do or die for Tottenham right now.
Time is running out on Tottenham's top-four hopes. Is it also running out on their spot at England's top table? We don't yet know, but it doesn't look good.
No comments:
Post a Comment