Tottenham falter in top-four race after West Ham draw but Man City could bail them out | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur’s quest to secure a Champions League slot hit yet another snag after they failed to return from the London Stadium with maximum points in the bag.

Ange Postecoglou’s side had to settle for a share of the spoils in an entertaining yet frustrating 1-1 draw against West Ham United, missing a chance to leapfrog Aston Villa into the top four.

It is now one win from the last three games (D1, L1) for Spurs, and their inability to build a head of steam is particularly worrying considering the daunting run of games looming on the horizon.

Up next is a home game against Nottingham Forest, who will be brimming with confidence after comfortably dispatching Fulham 3-1 at the City Ground.

However, having dropped points against West Ham, Spurs can’t afford to go consecutive games without a win, with crucial games against Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool just around the corner.

Following the dramatic comeback victory against Luton Town, Postecoglou will have been delighted to see his team get off to a lightning start as Brennan Johnson opened the scoring inside the opening five minutes.

However, that lead didn’t last too long as Kurt Zouma popped up with a goal to draw West Ham level. Despite enjoying the bulk of possession, Spurs didn’t create enough to nick it at the death.

While dropping points at home isn’t ideal, Spurs fans can find solace in the hope that Manchester City can do them a favour when they face Villa on Wednesday.

A Man City victory would halt Villa’s momentum and prevent them from extending their lead in the race for Champions League qualification to five points.

It’s worth noting that Tottenham still have a game in hand which they must utilise. A defeat for Villa at the Etihad Stadium would also help their cause.