With the season rapidly coming to an end, both Tottenham and Chelsea know that they cannot afford any further slip-ups as they gear up to face each other at the Stamford Bridge later tonight
With just three games left to play for in the 2012/2013 Barclays Premier League campaign, Chelsea host Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League encounter where a win would further clear the picture as to which two teams could possibly finish third and fourth.
As things stand, it is Chelsea who are occupying the third place in the league table with 68 points from 35 games, one ahead of fourth placed Arsenal and three ahead of Spurs who languish in fifth place.
Arsenal currently occupy the last Champions League berth and lead their north London rivals by just two points. However, with Spurs still with a game in hand, victory over the Blues in tonight’s encounter will see them overhaul Arsenal in fourth place.
When it comes to football recognition, there is no prize higher than playing in the Champions League year in year out. Chelsea have been doing that consistently over the past nine seasons while Arsenal have not missed out on vying for the holy grail of European club football for the past 17 years.
Tottenham on the other hand, have featured just once in the Champions League since the turn of the new millennia which is indeed surprising considering the fact that the Spurs boast one of the most talented squads in the Premier League.
Apart from the financial windfall it brings to the club, Champions League football also allows a team to attract bigger players. For instance, last season when Chelsea were struggling to break in the top four, it was Spurs who were making all the right noises in the transfer rumour section of different newspapers. However, Champions League success saw the Blues get an automatic berth in this season’s edition of the competition. This resulted in Eden Hazard, a player many people believed was Manchester-bound, joining them.
Indeed, Champions League football is a pinnacle of every player’s career and it is quite understanding to see many players take into context, a club’s chances of proving appearances in the competition before they sign a deal. The current crop of young Chelsea players, especially those who signed last season, is indeed a talented one and all this could have been very difficult had Chelsea not qualified for the competition.
Moreover, not being able to seal a place in the Champions League will be detrimental to a club like Tottenham that is trying to break in the top four for quite a long time. After missing out on the competition last time around due to Chelsea’s success, Spurs know that they cannot afford to miss out on a place in the competition again.
Not being able to guarantee Champions League football on a regular basis means that a few stars, especially talismanic player Gareth Bale, could be forced to consider a move away from the club. And as things have gone so far for them this season, it would give the club shudders when they think of life without their saviour.
Moving forward it is very essential that both clubs give in their all to guarantee a place in the Champions League, with both the clubs fighting for places in the top four we are up for a scintillating contest between the two.
As things stand, it is Chelsea who are occupying the third place in the league table with 68 points from 35 games, one ahead of fourth placed Arsenal and three ahead of Spurs who languish in fifth place.
Arsenal currently occupy the last Champions League berth and lead their north London rivals by just two points. However, with Spurs still with a game in hand, victory over the Blues in tonight’s encounter will see them overhaul Arsenal in fourth place.
When it comes to football recognition, there is no prize higher than playing in the Champions League year in year out. Chelsea have been doing that consistently over the past nine seasons while Arsenal have not missed out on vying for the holy grail of European club football for the past 17 years.
Tottenham on the other hand, have featured just once in the Champions League since the turn of the new millennia which is indeed surprising considering the fact that the Spurs boast one of the most talented squads in the Premier League.
Apart from the financial windfall it brings to the club, Champions League football also allows a team to attract bigger players. For instance, last season when Chelsea were struggling to break in the top four, it was Spurs who were making all the right noises in the transfer rumour section of different newspapers. However, Champions League success saw the Blues get an automatic berth in this season’s edition of the competition. This resulted in Eden Hazard, a player many people believed was Manchester-bound, joining them.
Indeed, Champions League football is a pinnacle of every player’s career and it is quite understanding to see many players take into context, a club’s chances of proving appearances in the competition before they sign a deal. The current crop of young Chelsea players, especially those who signed last season, is indeed a talented one and all this could have been very difficult had Chelsea not qualified for the competition.
Moreover, not being able to seal a place in the Champions League will be detrimental to a club like Tottenham that is trying to break in the top four for quite a long time. After missing out on the competition last time around due to Chelsea’s success, Spurs know that they cannot afford to miss out on a place in the competition again.
Not being able to guarantee Champions League football on a regular basis means that a few stars, especially talismanic player Gareth Bale, could be forced to consider a move away from the club. And as things have gone so far for them this season, it would give the club shudders when they think of life without their saviour.
Moving forward it is very essential that both clubs give in their all to guarantee a place in the Champions League, with both the clubs fighting for places in the top four we are up for a scintillating contest between the two.
