Premier League 2018-19: The race for the top four finish - What are the chances for Tottenham Hotspur
From title contenders to top four chasers, Spurs season has been a seesaw battle this campaign. With the top two spots more or less sealed, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United are breathing down their neck in the race for a top-four finish. Liverpool and Manchester City are all but sure to occupy the first 2 places as they compete against each other to become the champions of England.
The football fans are up for a treat as the season reaches the climax. Liverpool are at the top of the table, leading by a point and having played one game more than Manchester City. The teams ranked between 3rd and 6th position are in a league of their own, at least 13 points behind the 2nd placed team and 13 points ahead of Wolves, who sit in 7th place.
Tottenham sits in 3rd place with 61 points, just one point above Arsenal. Manchester United, who were on an excellent run since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over, are 5th in the table, two points behind the fourth-placed Arsenal followed by Chelsea, who are 6th with 57 points.
What are the chances of Tottenham Hotspur finishing in the top four this season?
Spurs have been very poor recently. From being outside title contenders in February to fighting for a place in the Champions League in March, Tottenham's season has started to fall apart at the wrong time. They are winless in the last four matches in the League, having lost three and drawn one.
The North London team is also in the quarterfinals of the Champions League where they face Manchester City. Winning the Champions League is an unrealistic expectation though and could prove to be a distraction for Spurs in the race for the top-4.
Tottenham have five of their last eight league matches at home, which will be played in their new stadium. It would be a different challenge to get accustomed to the new stadium. Their first fixture after the international break is against Liverpool at Anfield which Liverpool are expected to win quite comfortably.
They play City three times in a matter of 10 days, once in the league and twice in the Champions League. Two of those fixtures will be played at the Etihad. Winning any of these three looks a distant possibility with City playing in top gear at the moment and also looking to win the quadruple.
These could be testing times for the North London side and with games coming thick and fast. It could well have an impact on the overall performance of the side which lacks depth due to inactivity in recent transfer windows. Pochettino will have to be prepared for the tough period lying ahead as even a minor slip-up would a major impact on their chances for qualifying for the Champions League.
Spurs have unfortunately built a reputation of always falling at the last hurdle. It could be repeated in this case as well. Considering the recent results, the upcoming fixtures and the form of the rivals, they are most likely to fall out of the top-4.