By mid-December, Tottenham Hotspur had joined Arsenal in having no European responsibilities to hinder their chances of a top four finish, leaving just Manchester United to juggle midweek duties alongside their Premier League schedule.
There was nothing to say that two of those three clubs couldn’t have finished in the top four. Those were the thoughts of Thomas Tuchel, at least, as the Chelsea boss became wary of the teams below them whilst his own side would continue their Champions League adventure.
The German has revealed that he “feared the worst” when Spurs exited the Europa Conference League in December, as it gave them a “huge advantage” to secure a top four finish, but they failed to capitalise on it.
