Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas insists that Tottenham need to finish above http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Arsenal-c38429 this season and bring their 18-year domination of North London to an end.
The Portuguese believes that finishing over Arsenal will ensure Tottenham the fourth spot, and ultimately a place in next year’s Champions League.
The last time that Tottenham edged over Arsenal in the league was back in 1995 before Arsene Wenger took charge of the club.
Villas-Boas insisted that the importance of the North London derby is not lost on him, and that he very much knew about the importance of the fixture and what a win would mean for the team and the fans.
Tottenham need a result badly to bounce back from the two consecutive defeats against Wigan Athletic and Manchester City, and a win at the Emirates would be more than just three points.
This weekend’s derby will be Villas-Boas’ first taste of the historic and popular rivalry between both clubs, and the manager said that he is looking forward to it.
When asked if finishing above Arsenal this season was a realistic target, Villas-Boas replied:
“We have to. By what I see, it’s obvious that Man United, Man City and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 are into a big running towards the title. To play for that fourth spot, I think you know it’s difficult bearing in mind the amount of competition you have to beat.”
The likes of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Everton-c39043, Fulham and West Brom are in contention for the fourth spot, and the league table remains more open than ever. After 11 games, Tottenham are currently in 7th place, a point above Arsenal.
Last season, Tottenham were favourites to finish above Arsenal, but all that changed after the fateful North London derby, where Arsenal came from behind to beat Spurs 5-2. The defeat became a turning point for both clubs, but unfortunately it resulted in
Tottenham’s crash.
Spurs failed to bounce back from the game, and Arsenal finished above them once again and qualified for the Champions League spot.
Villas-Boas however thinks that Tottenham are not far from closing the gap on Arsenal, and added:
"We are certainly getting nearer in terms of what we are doing for the club, but the past shows that at the moment they are regular in obtaining those sorts of objectives."
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