Gary Neville lays out massive incentive for Tottenham heading into Monday night match against Leeds
It’s has been a long nine months of nerves, deception and lately panic in Tottenham, but things seem to be turning around under manager Roberto De Zerbi.
This year’s Premier League campaign has been one to forget for Tottenham. The shadow of relegation has been following Spurs all season, but tonight they can all but guarantee themselves top flight soccer next year, according to Gary Neville.
Must win Monday says Neville
The Manchester United legend and television pundit sees tonight’s match against Leeds United as their ticket to salvation. Leeds are right above Spurs in the table, but West Ham’s controversial loss to Arsenal on Sunday leaves just two teams battling for the final spot in the race against relegation.
Speaking on his show, The Gary Neville Podcast, the former England midfielder said, “They [Spurs] now have an opportunity to go four points clear, and that’s a massive, massive incentive to go into that game, and they needed their great rivals to do them a favour.”
As chance would have it, Tottenham’s most bitter rivals, Arsenal needed to beat West Ham to keep their cushion over Manchester City at the top of the table. The Gunners win also lended Spurs a helping hand, keeping their north London rivals out of the drop zone with a chance to go four points up should they beat Leeds on Monday.
Arsenal lend rivals a helping hand
The controversy from London Stadium came in stoppage time on a West Ham corner. With the season hanging in the balance and Arsenal needing to hang on to their 1-0 lead until the final whistle, Callum Wilson tucked home the equalizer in a crowded area right in front of goal. Arsenal keeper David Raya went to ground and after a five minute VAR review the goal was disallowed and the Gunners held on for all three points.
The draw would have put West Ham level with Tottenham, although Spurs would still have the Leeds game in hand before the both clubs turn their attention to the final two matches of the season. Neville said that West Ham coach Nuno Espirito Santo had the look of a defeated man once the goal was disallowed. “I think Nuno knew at the end, when that goal was disallowed, that potentially that could be it. I think he realised he needed something out of the game.”
Now the job is clear for Robert De Zerbi’s men against a Leeds side that was secured salvation following the West Ham loss. Neville says that could have an effect on how Leeds come out to play. “If you’ve already won the title, you step off it. If you’re already safe from relegation, you step off it. Those things naturally do happen.”
With so much riding on that West Ham-Arsenal match at the top and the bottom of the table, Neville knows that Leeds will come into this match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium much more relaxed, and that will only benefit Spurs who can take a giant step towards salvation. “And if Tottenham do the job [against Leeds] then that’s it, they’ll get over the line, and it’ll be too much for West Ham,” said Neville.
Related stories
Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.
Complete your personal details to comment