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Following Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at White Hart Lane on Sunday, Spurs’ dream of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League are dwindling.
With the Gunners putting in a professional display against their North London rivals, and Tottenham coming up short against the current top four in the PL time and time again, it seems as though any chance of qualification to the UCL is all but over for this season.
Spurs manager Tim Sherwood admitted as much after the game, as he saw his team run out of ideas against Arsenal to lose 1-0 for the second time in the North London derby this campaign. Another damaging defeat leaves Spurs’ top four charge in ruins.
“We know our chance are not great,” Sherwood said. “We have to try and accumulate as many points between now and the end of the season, and that’s what we will try to do.”
Tottenham played well and were unlucky to lose to Arsenal, but with Spurs now seven points off fourth-placed Manchester City, plus they’ve played three more games than City, it seems like a tall order for Tottenham to break into the top four. More than likely, once again, they will finish fifth and have Europa League soccer to play in next season. After the huge level of investment in the playing squad following the sale of Gareth Bale, things just haven’t panned out well for Spurs this season.
Is that Sherwood’s fault? No, he’s actually steadied the ship since he took charge mid-season after Andre Villas-Boas failed to pull things together after catastrophic defeats to Man City and Liverpool earlier in the season. Spurs have failed to win against the big teams when it really counts all season. Against Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal they have an abysmal record.
Spurs have lost home home and away against Man City and Arsenal, were hammered 5-0 by Liverpool at home and their only point against a current top four team came in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at White Hart Lane… then they were beat 4-0 by the Blues at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.
Tottenham, whatever their fans hope for, aren’t going to qualify for the Champions League this season. Is that a failure? Considering they sold their best player and replaced him with expensive signings who haven’t done the business — Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela, Roberto Soldado to name a few — Spurs are exactly where they should be.
But will a top four finish arrive at White Hart Lane in the foreseeable future? Right now, I can’t see it.
