Tottenham Hotspur have qualified for next season's UEFA Champions League after defeating Norwich on Sunday afternoon. The Lilywhites have been locked in a fierce top-four battle with local rivals Arsenal, who were four points clear just over a week ago.
However, Mikel Arteta's men suffered back-to-back defeats, losing 3-0 in the North London Derby before delivering a poor display during Monday night's 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United. That result meant Spurs just needed to draw against the already-relegated Canaries today, something they had no trouble with, winning 5-0.
It was just seven weeks ago that Tottenham boss Antonio Conte claimed his side would need a miracle to come above Manchester United, who ended the season in sixth. “It’s right to underline that this target is very, very difficult,” Conte said when asked about Spurs’ hopes of finishing fourth back in April.
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“We are not the only team that wants to try to do this miracle. There’s also Arsenal that in this moment has an advantage, and then there is United. United is the [top] team that in this season are struggling a lot. Last season, it was Liverpool.
"Otherwise in England, I continue to repeat, you play for other targets. Because there are a top-four, who at this moment are stronger clubs than the others, for many reasons. And this season it depends on United. At the moment we are among the teams that have to try to stay very close and exploit if someone fails this season.
“If you ask me about the past, about our possibility to reach a place in the Champions League, I could say to do it’d be very, very, very difficult."
