The table won't lie on Sunday
The only issue to be decided on Sunday is the race for fourth place, and a crack at Champions league football next season. Well, that's not quite true, because if Chelsea were to lose at home to Everton and Arsenal won at Newcastle, then the Gooners could grab third place.
Once again, Spurs are involved in the last day deciders for Champions League football. Last year, Spurs did their bit by beating Fulham at home, and did finish fourth, but former Spurs reserve goalkeeper Marton Fulop did not do his bit, making two cardinal errors allowing our nemesis to win 3-2 at West Brom, securing third place and Champions League football in the year when our pain was aggravated so much by that Chelsea Champions League win against Bayern Munich on the Germans' home turf.
That's all history now, of course, but there are plenty of Spurs fans out there who have already convinced themselves that Newcastle's third choice goalkeeper, Steve Harper, who hasn't started a game since October, will let Arsenal roll goals aplenty past him at St. James' Park. It will be an emotional game for Harper, who will be playing his last Newcastle game in front of what I hope will be a passionate home crowd.
Harper will be required, because second choice keeper Rob Elliott got two yellow cards in The Toon's win at QPR, and Tim Krul is out injured. I have to tell you that Newcastle do currently top the injury league with 9 players potentially injured for Sunday's game.
Wigan were everybody's heroes when they dramatically beat Manchester City in Sunday's FA Cup Final, and there was a time last night when they looked like getting something out of the Arsenal game. This was when they equalised just before the break, then had a good go at the home side for a spell after the interval. The vibe from the Arsenal crowd at this point was not good, but then Wigan folded; Arsenal won comfortably, and the red-shirted horde went home with big grins on their faces.
Contrary to the thoughts of many, it is not all over for Spurs, who obviously do have to do their job against Sunderland (who can now relax), whilst those of us of the white-shirted loyalty will be casting eyes and ears to St. James' Park hoping for a slip-up by Arsene Wenger's men.
Sadly for us, since losing at White Hart Lane at the beginning of March, Arsenal have had an incredible season-ending run of seven wins in 9 unbeaten games, whilst we faltered at Anfield; at home against Fulham; at home to Everton and away to Wigan. The Fulham team that beat us lost six of their last seven games, and that home defeat hurts as much as any this season, including the four points lost against Wigan.
We can all point at individual games where we faltered, but the bottom line is that on Sunday tea-time, the Premier League table will not lie. It could, of course be saying that we - not Arsenal - are fourth.
Let's all be positive on Sunday. The team will need our whole-hearted support, and after the game, come what may, they will deserve our applause for an excellent season, and the fact that they have once again earnt European football for 2013-14. I hope to be telling a story of a dream come true on Sunday!
We could also end the season with a record number of Premier League points (72), provided, of course we beat Sunderland.
Clint Dempsey, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Jan Vertonghen were voted the three most outstanding Spurs players on Sunday. Dempsey won the man off the match vote for just the third time this season. The other occasions were in our FA Cup games against Coventry and Leeds, when Dempsey scored in both those games. Much as he has been maligned by Spurs fans this season, he has now accumulated 12 goals in all competitions. 9 of his goals have been in this calendar year, in a period during which the much-loved Jermain Defoe has managed just one goal. Even Adebayor has scored five this side of Christmas!
· See this week's spursometer in full
COME ON YOU SPURS!
Results 11-14.05.13
A. Villa 1-2 Chelsea
Stoke 1-2 Spurs
Everton 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 1-3 Liverpool
Norwich 4-0 West Brom
QPR 1-2 Newcastle
S'derland 1-1 S'hampton
Man Utd 2-1 Swansea
Arsenal 4-1 Wigan
Reading 0-2 Man City
Barclays Premier League
P W D L F-A GD Pts
1. Man Utd 37 28 4 5 81-38 43 88 C
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2. Man City 37 23 9 5 64-31 33 78
3. Chelsea 37 21 9 7 73-38 35 72
4. Arsenal 37 20 10 7 71-37 34 70
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5. Spurs 37 20 9 8 65-46 19 69
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6. Everton 37 16 15 6 54-38 16 63
7. Liverpool 37 15 13 9 70-43 27 58
8. West Brom 37 14 6 17 48-52 -4 48
9. Swansea 37 11 13 13 47-48 -1 46
10. West Ham 37 11 10 16 41-51 -10 43
11. Stoke 37 9 14 14 33-44 -11 41
12. Norwich 37 9 14 14 38-56 -18 41
13. Newcastle 37 11 8 18 45-67 -22 41
14. S'hampton 37 9 13 15 48-59 -11 40
15. Fulham 37 10 10 17 47-60 -13 40
16. A. Villa 37 10 10 17 45-67 -22 40
17. S'derland 37 9 12 16 41-53 -12 39
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18. Wigan 37 9 8 20 45-71 -26 35R
19. Reading 37 6 10 21 41-69 -28 28R
20. QPR 37 4 13 20 30-59 -29 25R
