Spurs have bigger dreams than beating Arsenal

LONDON (Reuters) – If Sunday’s clash does indeed turn out to be the last north London derby at Tottenham Hotspur’s historic White Hart Lane stadium, the stakes could hardly be higher for the protagonist.

Tottenham, which is expected to announce this week that it will definitely move to Wembley next season while its new stadium is completed, will finish above Arsenal for the first time in 22 years with victory over Arsene Wenger’s Gunners.

Mauricio Pochettino’s vibrant young side has grander ambitions though, and first and foremost in the players’ minds will be keeping alive their hopes of a first English league title since the club’s glory days in 1961.

Should Chelsea fail to win at Everton in Sunday’s earlier match, Tottenham could conceivably be top of the table before Chelsea plays again if it beats Arsenal and follow that with victory at West Ham United next Friday.

“The possibility of finishing above Arsenal is not a motivation or a distraction,” Pochettino said after his side beat in-form Crystal Palace to narrow the gap on Chelsea to four points on Wednesday.

While Arsenal would dearly love to scupper Tottenham’s title bid, it too has more pressing concerns, namely trying to qualify for a 20th consecutive Champions League campaign.

Wenger’s sixth-place side secured a late 1-0 win over Leicester City on Wednesday to move four points behind fourth-place Manchester City and three behind Manchester United before Thursday’s Manchester derby.

Recent history suggests both sides might fall short of their ambitions on Sunday.

The last three north London derbies have ended in draws, including last season’s clash at the Lane in March, when a late Alexis Sanchez equalizer earned 10-man Arsenal a 2-2 draw which prevented Tottenham going top of the table.

Tottenham has won its last eight league matches though – a club record in the Premier League and their best sequence since 1960 – and has been unstoppable at the ground that will soon be bulldozed to make way for the 61,000-seater arena sprouting up around it.

Before Tottenham and Arsenal kick off, Chelsea faces the toughest of its final five fixtures against an Everton side which has won its last eight home matches.

Everton beat Chelsea twice at Goodison last season in the Premier League and FA Cup quarterfinal, but was thumped 5-0 at Stamford Bridge when the teams met in November.

“Chelsea is a difficult team to beat, but we are a match to anyone at home,” Everton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, who played under Pochettino at Southampton, said.

“It will be hard for them on Sunday and we won’t let them breathe, or have any space on the pitch.”