Crucial weekend for Tottenham Hotspur in top four fight

After losing to Brighton last weekend, Tottenham Hotspur enters a crucial weekend in the top four race as Spurs can end the weekend anywhere from three points up to three points down from fourth place.

A four-game winning streak for Tottenham Hotspur, which coincided with a three-match losing streak for Arsenal, put Spurs in the driver’s seat for fourth place in the table. However, an Arsenal win coupled with a Spurs loss has left the teams even on points, with the Lilywhites ahead on goal difference. Add in a Manchester United team only three points back, and this weekend is shaping up to be pivotal in the race for a place in next season’s Champions League.

Early insight on the race for the top four

Whether it is good news, bad news, or irrelevant, in the end, Tottenham will have a clear picture of the top four race before they play at Brentford on Saturday evening.

The weekend fixtures get started with Arsenal and Manchester United facing off at the Emirates. United is coming off a crushing defeat to Liverpool, whereas Arsenal is riding high, having just beaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

United has played one more game than either Tottenham or Arsenal, which is almost irrelevant given that game is the north London derby. A win puts the Red Devils even on points with the Gunners and Spurs with only a handful of matches left. The worst result of the early game is an Arsenal win, meaning Spurs are three points behind going into the Brentford match.

Regardless, that early match will make it clear where Tottenham sits.

Tottenham has but one task at Brentford

Ultimately, Tottenham Hotspur still controls their destiny. If Tottenham wins the rest of their matches, they will finish no worse than fourth and return to the Champions League. Of course, to get there, you have to win one game at a time, and that starts with Brentford on Saturday.

No matter what happens in the early game between Arsenal and Manchester United, if Spurs fails to beat Brentford, they will have lost ground in the race for Europe. Tottenham must win whether to keep fourth or stretch their advantage, and with only six games left, that makes this weekend as critical as they come.