Worried about fourth? My predictor says we'll finish sixth!
I'm an optimist, and I still think that Spurs can make the top four again this season. After all, after this week-end's results including last night's Liverpool win over Manchester City, it is still in Spurs' hands to finish in fourth place. They are three points behind City with a game in hand, and the game against City still to play at Eastlands on May 10th. Hopefully that will be another humdinger. With Tevez missing the next game or more with his hamstring, who's to say that City won't succumb to the pressure of the run-in? They've lost 4 of their last 5 away league games, and haven't won in 6 games away since the turn of the year. City's remaining away league games are at Blackburn, Everton and Bolton, all of which are eminently loseable for this group of players that has yet to prove itself as a team. Our game at their place could prove to be as crucial as last year.
I use an excel programme that has no heart but bases its predictions purely upon results. It is extremely pessimistic about Spurs, suggesting they win only one of their remaining games, at home to Blackpool. I like to think that Spurs can beat Arsenal at home, and that they can beat Chelsea and Man City away. Bugger the predictor!
There is no doubt that Kenny Dalglish's resurgent Liverpool do have to be taken very seriously though. We have to go to Anfield on May 15th. The "Reds" have lost just two of their last 11 premier League games. They were at West Ham and at Roy Hodgson's West Brom, who are also on the rise. After playing Arsenal at The Emirates on Sunday, Liverpool's programme doesn't look bad at all, with home games against Birmingham and Newcastle, before our game, and trips to Craven Cottage and Villa Park.
We'll take it game by game, and we are in for an exciting end to the season yet again, providing Spurs can get the results we need, and not fade away. My Excel predictor says that Liverpool will pip us for fifth, but I'm still going for fourth, or better. Who says we'll need to go through the Champions League play-off next time round?
Your man of the match for last Saturday's Stoke game was Luka Modric, who is beginning to look like the Spurs Odyssey favourite for our Player of the Year vote.
Results 09-11.04.11
Blackburn 1-1 B'mingham
Bolton 3-0 West Ham
Chelsea 1-0 Wigan
Man Utd 2-0 Fulham
S'derland 2-3 West Brom
Spurs 3-2 Stoke
Wolves 0-3 Everton
Blackpool 1-3 Arsenal
A. Villa 1-0 Newcastle
Liverpool 3-0 Man City
Barclays Premier League
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Man Utd 32 20 9 3 70 32 38 69
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2 Arsenal 31 18 8 5 62 30 32 62
3 Chelsea 31 17 7 7 55 25 30 58
4 Man City 32 16 8 8 50 30 20 56
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5 Spurs 31 14 11 6 44 36 8 53
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6 Liverpool 32 14 6 12 45 38 7 48
7 Everton 32 10 14 8 45 41 4 44
8 Bolton 32 11 10 11 46 43 3 43
9 Newcastle 32 10 9 13 48 47 1 39
10 West Brom 32 10 9 13 46 59 -13 39
11 Fulham 32 8 14 10 36 35 1 38
12 Stoke 32 11 5 16 39 42 -3 38
13 S'derland 32 9 11 12 35 45 -10 38
14 A. Villa 32 9 10 13 40 53 -13 37
15 Blackburn 32 9 8 15 40 52 -12 35
16 B'mingham 31 7 14 10 31 43 -12 35
17 Blackpool 32 9 6 17 46 66 -20 33
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18 West Ham 32 7 11 14 38 56 -18 32
19 Wolves 32 9 5 18 36 56 -20 32
20 Wigan 32 6 13 13 29 52 -23 31
