Late goals have definitely swayed the standing in the Premier League this campaign and the bet365 odds list Spurs at 5/1 to finish in the top four and 20/1 to win the Europa League.
There are two ways English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur can qualify for the European Champions League next season. They’re either going to have to win this year’s Europa League competition or finish in the top four in the Premier League. Spurs got off to a mediocre start in the Europa League last week with a 1-1 home draw with Italian Serie A side Fiorentina with the second leg set for Italy on Feb. 26. However, if they fail on the European front there’s still a shot at a fourth-place finish in England.
Spurs currently sit in seventh place in the Premier League with 44 points after 26 games. They’ve made it here on 13 wins, six draws and seven losses and are easily within striking range of the top four. The White Hart Lane outfit is just three points behind fourth-place Manchester United and five back of third-place Arsenal. However, to reach fourth they also need to leapfrog sixth-place Liverpool and fifth-place Southampton. This could be achieved after the next league match though if all the results fall the right way.
Spurs have managed to stay in the fight for a European spot due to their late-game heroics this season. Fans should never leave a Tottenham match until the final whistle blows as there’s a good chance they’ll miss something. So far the London club has earned 13 points this season due to goals scored after the 85th minute. Arsenal has the second-best record with goals in the last five minutes with six points. Tottenham’s latest dramatics took place at home on Feb. 22 with a 2-2 draw against West Ham. After trailing 2-0, Danny Rose pulled one back for Spurs with nine minutes to go, and 21-year-old English striker tied it 2-2 when he banged in his penalty-kick rebound with the last touch of the game.
The crucial point kept eighth-place West Ham five points behind them in the table. Without the late-game scoring exploits, Spurs would be sitting in 12th place in the standings and 16 points out of fourth place and a shot at the Champions League. Along with earning 13 points late in games, Spurs, Manchester United and Manchester City are the only Premier League sides not to drop a single point after the 85th minute. Aston Villa and West Ham are the only teams not to earn a point with a late goal. The worst Premier League team for dropping points late in games is Hull City with seven with Everton, West Ham and Newcastle United next at five each.
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