“The Game is about Glory” reads Tottenham’s famous motto that on match days can be found emblazoned across the stadium and is etched into the very core of the North London football club.
In the modern day, nothing in European football is arguably more glorious than playing in the Champions League, Europe’s premier competition, from the star-studded players that grace the field to the iconic anthem that has defined the competition since its inception in 1992.
On Sunday, Spurs will find themselves making the 200-mile round-trip to the Midlands’ biggest club - Aston Villa, where over the course of 90 minutes, each side will spar for a vital three points that will be pivotal in determining who plays in the continents’s most prestigious club competition next season.
-
Reigniting ambitions
Since Unai Emery and Ange Postecoglou arrived to the Premier League, both have re-ignited their respective fandom’s ambitions through their pioneering and enterprising tactics, which at Tottenham has seen the club play some of their most progressive football in years while, at Aston Villa, Emery’s management has seen the club re-enter Europe for the first time in 12 years.
The Villans currently sit five points above their European competitors, after a three-game winning streak has seen them reclaim the advantage after Spurs had, a few weeks previous, entered the top four before dropping points to both Everton and Wolves.
However, after a late comeback victory over Crystal Palace the previous weekend, in which Tottenham scored three goals in the last 15 minutes of play, Postecoglou’s side find themselves with renewed belief and confidence that they can make up the ground and catch Villa.
In addition, Tottenham also have a game in-hand over Emery’s side due to their fixture against Chelsea in late February being postponed because of the West London’s side involvement in the Carabao Cup Final, which they would go on to lose against Liverpool.
Key to a Tottenham push for Champions League will be the form and availability of captain Heung-Min Son. The South Korean winger missed three crucial fixtures for Spurs against Manchester United, Brentford and Everton due to his nation’s involvement in the Asian Cup. As a result, Spurs found themselves without their prime goalscorer, succumbing to drab draws to Manchester United and Everton while only narrowly overcoming the Bees.
Having started in all but one of Spurs’ fixtures that he has been available for, Son is Postecoglou’s go-to-man for both creativity when his side are missing their mojo, and for the finishing touch when Spurs fail to find the accuracy in front of goal.
The 31-year-old scored his first goal of the calendar year when he netted Tottenham’s third against Crystal Palace at the weekend, with a cultured finish past Sam Johnstone to make sure of the three points for his side.
With Richarlison out for the next few weeks, and Timo Werner struggling to find the consistency in front of goal, Son will be ever more relied on over the coming weeks and at the weekend as Spurs face up to the league’s best defence after Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
However, Villa also have their own potent marksmen for Spurs to worry about. Ollie Watkins has found himself in some of the best form of his career to date, with the sharpshooter hitting the back of the net 16 times from open-play, the best record in the league above the likes of Mohammed Salah and Erling Haaland.
Since the turn of the year, Watkins has contributed to seven goals and two assists as his side have started to pick up momentum for the final run-in. Most recently, Watkins scored a brace against Luton Town, with a commanding header for his opener and a finely-taken second to help his side to a 3-2 victory at Kenilworth Road.
The Englishman, along with the likes of Leon Bailey, Jacob Ramsey and Moussa Diaby will provide a stern test for Tottenham’s leaky backline. Spurs have kept a clean sheet just once in their last 17 Premier League games, conceding late goals and sloppy chances as a knack for inconsistency has developed.
However, what is clear is that Spurs' defence will have to be at its very best if it is to stem the tide of goals that has been flowing from the Villans, and equally will have to be their usual best on the front foot if they are to overcome the stern competition they face on Sunday.
With a fifth spot for Champions League football not guaranteed, Sunday’s encounter between fourth-placed Villa and the fifth-placed chasers, Tottenham Hotspur, promises to be a defining game of the season, with Europe’s most glorious competition on the line.
And for a club, where the game supposedly is all about glory, then it really is vital.