Duel of the fates

I don't believe in fate. I've said so before on this blog. So the deadlock between Spurs and Arsenal right now at the end of the league is just a stressful coincidence, however entertaining it may be for the neutral. Somebody who would believe in fate would argue it was always meant to be like this: North London rivals deadlocked till the final match, for their seasons' ultimate goal.

Oh the temptations of the Champions League! How much we would all curse and shed tears and sweat for the prospect of hearing that music (Adebayor's favourite music, I hear).

When we were on the peak of our form, it looked like we could 4th, 3rd, even 2nd. It wasn't foolish not to factor in the (many would argue inevitable) drop in form. Our rivals were always gonna step up their game at the back end of the season. Chelsea, benefited with a large, talented squad, could not only cope with the extra games but also managed to go on a impeccable run of form. Arsenal have also gone on a run of form after being knocked out from all competitions, the quality of one of the league's most experienced managers proving vital now. Can't hear the #WengerOut's anymore?

I'm talking like it's the end of the season. It's not. Not yet. But if you're pondering the big question 'How have we come to relying on Wigan and Norwich to beat Arsenal?' well I'm only trying to offer some clarity. And the pressure of the last few months is a factor we have yet to conquer at Spurs. If we had a few injured players at our disposal, things would be different, but then again, the possibilities are endless if we discuss the conditions.

Let me be brief. Come Sunday, I will smile at what we've accomplished this season. If this is a sign of things to come, I will be eager to go through all this shit again next season. May rupture a few blood vessels though.

TOTTENHAM TILL I DIE.

Keep the Faith

Last night, we drew against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Good result, eh? You know, considering what they're fighting for the same thing as us. Objective 1: Get into the Champions League. Objective 2: Stay there. But you know as well as I do that the draw was not good enough, that the draw leaves us one point behind Arsenal with two games to go, a difficult position to where we could've been given a victory.

Nothing in it

I can't say much about the match. Adebayor had a fucking amazing match by his standards, definitely the best he's played all season. The big Togolese striker still has only scored seven goals all season, but it's good he's finally putting in some performances at this time in the season. His goal made me laugh, so cheekily done. Great shot of the ball going straight at the camera behind the goal, perfectly placed up and over Megaman Cech. His backheel-flick into Gylfi 'The Iceman Cometh' Sigurdsson was godly (an adjective I really didn't think I'd describe Ade with this season). We showed solidity when we conceded, something I'd label AVB's Tottenham with this season: the willingness never to give up, right till the final minute.

I thought about the different circumstances Spurs could find themselves in at the end of the season. Here are a few of them.

1. Arsenal win all their remaining games and Chelsea get points from theirs, leaving Tottenham 5th and without Champions League this season, another Europa League campaign ahead of them. Disappointment.
2. Arsenal drop points in one of their games, whilst Tottenham win both and make Champions League, finishing above Arsenal, leaving them with a Europa League campaign. Elation.
3. Arsenal drop points, but Tottenham fail to capitalize on their chance to get one over L'Arse. Grief. 

The last circumstance is the one I fear the most. I don't want our season to end as it did last year with us listing all the "What if"s we can think of. I don't want us to feel like our dream was right in front of us, only to slip away at the last moment. We would grieve and slump into a corner as fans, resigned to another year of hurt. 

Think of Circumstance 2 though. It's still on the table. Perhaps it's not up to us to claim it, but it's there, tempting us in with our unheard prayers. What emotion could come from finishing above the nomads? What emotion could come from snatching it from them in the final games of the season? I called it 'elation' but I have no idea what it would feel like, what it would taste like. 

I will say this though. Come the end of the season, when the inevitable post-mortem is carried out, I ask you to consider as a whole what this season was, what we expected in the early parts, the quality we were competing with, the quality we have had compared to others, and the luck we have had to even still be in it in May. 

I cannot wholly define our season yet, sadly, but I still feel an air of positivity will come from whatever circumstance we have dealt to us. And as ever, keep the faith; it's never over till the final whistle is blown.