Tottenham duo James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski insist that they won't be thinking of sabotaging Arsenal's Premier League title charge when Spurs face Manchester City.
Although their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League could be dashed on Monday night when fourth-placed Aston Villa host Liverpool, Ange Postecoglou's side still currently have a chance. That'd mean avoiding defeat against City on Tuesday, which would therefore put Tottenham's bitter rivals, Arsenal, in the driving seat on the final day of the Premier League season.
Reigning champions City are currently one point behind Arsenal, who boast a superior goal difference but have played a game more. A win in north London would see Pep Guardiola and his team go into the final day two points clear of the Gunners, but anything other than a victory over Spurs means that Arsenal would be in pole position.
As a result, a portion of Tottenham supporters are hoping that their own team loses against City, as they'd hate to see Arsenal lift the title on Sunday. Spurs' own players, however, are only focussed on themselves and their faint hopes of being in Europe's elite competition next season.
"We need to finish the season strongly," Maddison vowed after Saturday's 2-1 win at home to Burnley all but secured fifth. "Of course we will be giving everything on Tuesday.
Premier League odds and betting tips
"We are professionals. The only way we can qualify for the Champions League is if we win all our games, so (helping Arsenal) that's one for the fans to talk about, not us players."
Kulusevski, meanwhile, wants to ensure that City maintain their miserable record at Tottenham's new stadium, having lost each of their four Premier League games there without scoring a single goal. "It's a team we love playing against," the Swedish winger proclaimed.
"We love playing against the strongest teams. So it's going to be a nice evening. The fact they leave spaces behind the backline is one thing, but there are many different things when you play against the best."
Your turn! Will Tottenham do Arsenal a favour against Manchester City? Join the debate in the comments section
James Maddison has eyes on the Champions League (Mark Leech/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Dejan Kulusevski scored against Manchester City earlier this season (Darren Staples/AFP)Boss Postecoglou insists that Spurs will "have a crack" against City, adding: "We've still got six points to play for. That's the key thing for us.
"There's a big game for us on Tuesday night against City and it will be a great test for us and the Sheffield United one. I think we've got what it takes to make a game of it (against City) and play our football and see where that takes us.
"They're an outstanding team. They and Arsenal are the benchmark of the competition right now. They're 20-odd points ahead of us and we've got some ground to make up, but it's at our place, it's 95 minutes of football and we're going to have a crack."
and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
