Spurs keep Champions League dream alive

STOKE-ON-TRENT, United Kingdom (AFP) –

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Gareth Bale (R) crosses the ball past Stoke City’s Ryan Shotton during their Premier League match on May 12, 2013. The Spurs secured a 2-1 win on Sunday to leapfrog great rivals Arsenal for the first time in a month to regain fourth place.

Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of a place in the Champions League next season will go to a grand finale on the last day if Andre Villas-Boas’ hopes are realised for his team.

An admirable recovery in their penultimate game at Stoke, always a tough venue for visiting teams, secured a 2-1 win on Sunday and allowed Spurs to leapfrog great rivals Arsenal for the first time in a month to regain fourth place, which offers the chance of a Champions League qualifying spot.

The final round of Premier League matches next Sunday pits Tottenham against Sunderland, one of the teams involved in the relegation fight, at White Hart Lane while Arsenal will journey to the north-east to face Newcastle.

But first Arsenal, who now trail Tottenham by two points, will play their delayed match on Tuesday against a Wigan team fresh from their unexpected but deserved FA Cup Final victory over Manchester City at Wembley.

It is a fixture which Wigan, playing enterprising football under Roberto Martinez, managed to win last season, and Villas-Boas knows a similar outcome now would throw the door to Europe wide open.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas (R) hugs striker Emmanuel Adebayor at the end of their match against Stoke City on May 12, 2013. “Our win at Stoke keeps us in the frame and there is still the possibility of the Champions League,” Villas-Boas said.

“Our win at Stoke keeps us in the frame and there is still the possibility of the Champions League,” Villas-Boas said. “The dream is still there for us and we want to take it to the last day.”

It is hard to determine whether there is any additional pressure on Arsenal, having fallen to fifth place, while Spurs recovered from going a goal behind to wrestle the victory from a team reduced to 10 men early in the second half after midfielder Charlie Adam’s second bookable offence.

Villas-Boas said: “You never know. They are a very experienced side. They’re a very good side, which is why this is going down to the wire. I’m not sure if (the situation) puts them under pressure.

“But Wigan will be very motivated and will give them a hard game, both teams need the points so it will be very competitive,” the Portuguese added.

“The Wigan players will obviously have great emotions going through their heads at the moment. But we saw the message from (Wigan owner) Dave Whelan saying that they would be focussed on the Premier League. I’m not sure I’ll watch it though.”

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Gareth Bale (2nd L) takes a shot at goal during their Premier League match against Stoke City on May 12, 2013. Stoke will make the journey to Southampton for the final game safe in the knowledge that a difficult season cannot now end in relegation.

While it was Emmanuel Adebayor, the Togolese former Arsenal striker, who eventually scored the simple late winner at Stoke to keep his former club on their toes, it was Clint Dempsey’s performance that was pivotal to Tottenham’s pursuit.

The American, who scored the equaliser from 25 yards and helped fashion the winning goal, has been a key player in Villas Boas’s admirable season following the manager’s exit from Chelsea.

Villas-Boas said: “He’s been a player who has been immense this season, not only assisting, but scoring. Sometimes he’s not had the credit he deserves, but he’s a hard worker. He had an amazing game at Stoke, it was an extremely good individual performance.”

Stoke will make the journey to Southampton for the final game safe in the knowledge that a difficult season cannot now end in relegation.

Manager Tony Pulis, who is not without his critics, said: “I’m delighted for us to be in the Premier League for a sixth consecutive season. It’s not just what the club have achieved on the pitch, it’s what the club are doing behind the scenes as well.

“You look at the money the club has spent on the infrastructure, the training ground, what they’ve done at the stadium and the academy. All this couldn’t have been achieved without what we have done on that pitch.”