Arsenal loss sets stage for Tottenham to return to Champions League

In a world of gold, silver and bronze medals, fourth place is rarely something to celebrate. But for Spurs, now just one point away from a top-four finish, this season's results could mark the end of a difficult few years in the club's history.

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, left, celebrates with Son Heung-min, right, and Ryan Sessegnon after scoring the first goal of a game against Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

In a world of gold, silver and bronze medals, fourth place is rarely something to celebrate. But for Tottenham Hotspur, who are now just one point away from securing that all-important top-four finish, this season's results could mark the end of a difficult few years in the London club's history.

With four Champions League tickets on the table in the Premier League each season, finishing in the top four is often seen as the primary goal for the league's biggest clubs. But in a country that boats of a Big Six — Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United — as well as 14 other top flight teams, securing one of those top four spots is always hugely competitive.

Spurs have been locked in the fight for the No. 4 spot with local rivals Arsenal for the last few months, with Manchester United slowly falling out of contention and Manchester City and Liverpool taking the top two spots — although not necessarily in that order — and Chelsea likely to finish third.

Tottenham pulled ahead of Arsenal on Sunday when they beat Burnley 1-0 to take a two point lead in the standing. With Arsenal yet to play their penultimate game of the season, Spurs' tenuous lead meant it could still all go wrong.

That lead got a lot more secure on Monday night, when Arsenal lost 2-0 loss to Newcastle United.

Arsenal's collapse at St. James' Park in Newcastle, England — the London club managed two shots on target throughout the game and opened the scoring with an own goal at the top of the second half — has taken the pressure off Spurs a little bit, with even a draw securing them fourth place, and that's assuming Arsenal win their next game.

Both Arsenal and Tottenham are set to face fairly low-ranked teams when the 20 Premier League clubs play their final games of the 2021-22 season on Sunday, but even then the odds are firmly in Spurs' favor.

Arsenal will play their last game of the season at home against Everton, a team that currently ranks at No. 16 in the Premier League with 10 wins in 36 games so far this season. Everton have won the two sides' last three games, including a 2-1 victory earlier this season.

Spurs, meanwhile, will face Norwich City, the lowest-ranked team in the league with just five wins in 37 games this season. Spurs will be on the road at Carrow Road in Norwich, England, but its unlikely to give the home side enough of an advantage to prevent, at best, a draw. Spurs won 3-0 when they faced off in December last year.

With Tottenham currently leading by two points, a loss or a draw for Arsenal on Sunday will guarantee Spurs a top-four finish.

If Arsenal do win, Tottenham only need a draw to stay in fourth place. A Tottenham draw and Arsenal win will put both teams on 69 points, with Spurs taking the higher ranking based on goal difference — assuming, of course, that Arsenal don't score more than 15 goals on Sunday.

If Arsenal win and Tottenham lose, Arsenal will take fourth, while if both teams win they will remain in their current positions.

Manchester City currently have a four-point lead in first place on 90 points, followed by Liverpool on 86 points, but with a game in hand. If Liverpool win their last two games and City lose their final fixture, Liverpool could take first place.

Similarly, Chelsea currently sit in third place on 70 points but with a game in hand, meaning that if Chelsea lose their last two games and Tottenham win their final game, Spurs would jump into third place.

After four straight years in the Premier League, Tottenham dropped down to sixth place in the 2019-20 season and then slipped all the way to seventh last year. The club has been through a rocky period with a number of managerial changes, and a Champions League spot at the end of this season would prove that the Antonio Conte approach is actually paying off for the London club.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]