Owen Hargreaves has claimed that Tottenham should be able to seal the fourth and final Champions League spot for next season after Arsenal failed to beat Southampton today.
The Gunners had the chance to draw level with Spurs on 57 points with a win today after seeing them lose to Brighton in the early-afternoon, but once again we failed to bring home the points.
It was the Saints first win in seven matches, and leaves us with slim hopes of climbing back inside the top four, and looking ahead to our next matches we have plenty to be alarmed about.
Owen Hargreaves has taken that all in to name Tottenham as the side who are most likely to claim fourth after seeing the latest performances, with our upcoming fixtures definitely a big task.
‘Fixture-wise, it’s tough for Arsenal,’ he said on Premier League Productions(via the Metro). ‘They struggled against Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton.
‘They’ve got Chelsea, Man United, West Ham, Leeds and Tottenham coming up. Looking at Arsenal’s fixtures I’m saying no.
‘I know they’re close but if you’re losing and not scoring against Palace, Brighton and Southampton, you’re going to struggle. It’s made it really difficult for them.
‘Tottenham are still in the driving seat because they’re ahead. Arsenal have that game in hand but I think Arsenal will fall short with the fixtures they’ve got.
‘Manchester United are just too inconsistent. Tottenham should be able to get the job done.’
While I doubt our credentials, I also doubt each of our rivals equally. Spurs proved today that they are no solid bet, and can only rank as the most likely because of the points that are already on the board. Man United are equally as inconsistent, while West Ham are mathematically a little too far away to be considered currently.
I wouldn’t be putting money on anyone at any odds personally, and while I don’t think we have what it takes right now, we could be one win away from finding our edge again, and from watching all the sides this season, it has been us who has looked to most likely to string a sequence of wins together.
Are Spurs clear favourites for fourth or do you agree that nobody deserves that tag?
Patrick