Tottenham failed to maintain the winning run after they lost 3-0 against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon (16 March).
After beating Crystal Palace and Aston Villa back-to-back, everyone expected them to secure another victory against their London rivals.
The defeat shows the unpredictable nature of the Premier League, but what it does is that it has made the race for the top four very interesting.
Aston Villa still occupy the fourth spot with 55 points, two points above Tottenham, while Manchester United are currently in sixth with 47 points.
There is a high possibility that five teams from England could participate in the Champions League next season, and United should be aiming to secure the fifth spot at least.
As for the top-four battle, it looks like a straight fight between Villa and Spurs. Both teams have tricky fixtures, but Jamie Redknapp has suggested on Sky Sports that Spurs “should certainly” make the top four.
Jamie Redknapp makes bold prediction for Tottenham
He said: “With Tottenham’s fixtures coming up – Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool – they’ve got a tough run.”
“Aston Villa have got tough games. Man Utd have got tough games. I still think with those fixtures, Tottenham should certainly make the top four.”
Ange Postecoglou looked very disappointed with the result in his post-match press conference, as he felt that collectively they should have done a lot better.
Spurs created a few good chances in both halves but couldn’t find the finishing touches. However, what has been really frustrating is that Spurs allowed their London rivals to dominate the game.
Can Aston Villa bounce back to winning ways? Like Spurs, Unai Emery’s side will also face the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, and they could drop points away from home against teams like West Ham, Brighton, or Crystal Palace.
It is really difficult to predict at the moment, as Redknapp rightly points out, but it’s going to be an intense battle until the end of the season.
