Tottenham are aiming to keep their Europa League spot in check as they battle bottom side West Brom this Saturday.
Tottenham produced a superb performance against Sunderland to keep their sixth spot in the Premier league table on course.
Christian Eriksen starred as Tottenham Hotspur came from behind to win 5-1 at the White Hart Lane on Monday night and maintain their hopes for a top-four Premier League finish.
Tottenham dominated the early play but went behind to a shock goal from Lee Cattermole following a defensive miscue by Vlad Chiriches in the 17th minute.
The win moved Spurs into sixth place on 59 points with five matches remaining in the season. Manager Tim Sherwood’s side are within five points of slumping
Arsenal, who currently occupy the Premier League’s final UEFA Champions League spot are on 64 points.
West Brom have drawn five of their six Barclays Premier League home games under Pepe Mel, losing the other.
Four of these games have ended 1-1. Spurs are unbeaten in eight Barclays Premier League meetings with the Baggies (W4 D4), scoring exactly once in six of these games. Tottenham (25 from 14 games) have won more points than north London rivals Arsenal (22 from 14 games) in the Premier League in 2014.
Although Spurs were not undeserving of the 5-1 scoreline, they owed their crushing win to poor Sunderland defending as much as a great attacking display.
Spurs striker Emmanuel Adebayor and boss Tim Sherwood are hoping to get another victory. Since Tim Sherwood first took charge of Spurs in the Premier League, Emmanuel Adebayor has netted 10 goal this season, with 10 of Adebayor’s 15 Premier League goals for Spurs since the start of 2012-13 coming come away from home, including seven of the 10 this season.
Eleven of West Bromwich Albion’s goals have been netted by substitutes this season; more than any other side – this includes five of their last 10 goals in the Premier League. Victor Anichebe has had more impact than any other substitute in the Premier League this season, scoring or assisting five goals as a replacement (three goals, two assists).
Tottenham currently have a goal difference of 0. Just four sides in Premier League history have finished the season with exactly the same number of goals scored as they have conceded. This will be just the seventh time that Tottenham have played a Premier League game on a Saturday this season – every other team have already played at least 12 Premier League games on a Saturday in 2013-14 season. Christian Eriksen has scored three goals and assisted three more in his last three Premier League appearances for Tottenham.
Tim Sherwood future as Tottenham manager has not affected his focus on helping the club finish the season strongly.
Before the 5-1 win over Sunderland, the Premier League club let it be known they would meet Sherwood in the summer to review the season, after reports suggested he would lose his job.
“The speculation doesn’t affect me,” Sherwood said.
“I’m going to focus on getting the best out of the players in the final games.”
Sherwood, who replaced Andre Villas-Boas in December, has seen his side lose three of their last four league matches. The club was also knocked out of the Europa League at the last-16 stage in March.
And last month, former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit claimed Netherlands coach Louis Van Gaal had been asked to take over at White Hart Lane after the World Cup.
“Nothing has changed. I have had the chat about next season, players I have identified and pre-season,” added Sherwood.
Monday’s win lifted Spurs up to sixth, four points behind Everton, who occupy fifth position and a Europa League spot.
Anthony Nlebem
