Tottenham Hotspur ’s 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in their game in hand on Wednesday gave them a huge boost in securing Champions League football for next season as they cut the gap down to fourth-placed Arsenal to just three points.
The Gunners suffered a 2-0 defeat to title-chasing Liverpool on the same night to end their five-match winning run, as Mikel Arteta ’s side were given a reality check and missed the opportunity to extend their lead over fifth-placed Manchester United to four points.
And former Spurs midfielder Danny Murphy believes that there are two reasons as to why Antonio Conte ’s side will now finish above Arsenal, despite the Gunners having a game in hand on their local rivals.
Speaking to Stadium Astro, he said: “I’ve just got a feeling when I look at the fixtures, I make Arsenal the favourites but I think Tottenham might sneak in. The two reasons I think they might sneak in is because Conte has always had success everywhere he’s gone. Sometimes managers don’t need to be good, they just need to be lucky and if you are good and lucky then great.
“The other thing is Harry Kane is just hitting the straps at the right time, he just looks so strong and powerful at the moment. So I’ve just got a feeling Tottenham will sneak in for some reason. I hope they do as a former Tottenham player but it’s fascinating.”
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Kane scored his side’s second goal against the Seagulls on Wednesday to mark his seventh in as many matches following a slow start to the season in which he struggled to hit his usual heights.
But that has now taken the England international’s total to 12 in 27 league appearances this season, while he has scored 22 in 40 in all competitions overall, and with him hitting form at the right time for Spurs, Murphy is adamant it will be a huge advantage for Conte’s side.
And with January signing Dejan Kulusevski making an instant impact already, along with Heung-Min Son being as clinical and reliable as ever on the opposite flank, Spurs have notched 16 goals in their last six games.
However, their inconsistent form has hindered their progress of breaking into the top four up until now, and a good result is usually followed by a bad one, although it now looks as though Conte is beginning to implement a winning formula in the team.
Spurs still have huge games against West Ham and Liverpool to come, while there is the postponed north London derby still to be rearranged, as the top four race gathers momentum and becomes the most exciting in top flight history.
But Arsenal do have a game in hand on Spurs, although they also still need to play West Ham, Chelsea and Man United, so whoever finishes in the top four is going to have to come through those games without dropping any points.
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