With six Premier League clubs in FA Cup action and almost all the others idle, Tottenham and Sunderland both get the chance to put clear distance between themselves and the relegation zone when they play today.
Tottenham and Sunderland are tied on 31 points, just four above the relegation zone, but Spurs’ superior goal difference means that one more win would lift them three places and into the top half of the table for the first time this season.
Much more was expected from Spurs after they won last year’s League Cup, but manager Juande Ramos was fired after the club took just two points from their first eight matches. His successor, Harry Redknapp, looks to be on track to keep the club up — and possibly even more.
“The start we had to the season killed us,” winger Aaron Lennon said. “But we’re now only four points off eighth. If we could get up to seventh it would be unbelievable, though the priority remains to stay in this league.”
With Premier League leaders Manchester United having beaten Tottenham to win the League Cup and five of the teams above Spurs still in the FA Cup, seventh place could even be enough to secure a place in next season’s UEFA Cup.
Firstly, though, Tottenham must negotiate a tough match at Sunderland, who won the teams’ clash in August 2-1.
Spurs could be up against four of former players, although a fifth, midfielder Teemu Tainio, will miss the game because of a knee injury that kept him out of Tuesday’s defeat at Liverpool.
The Black Cats have stuttered slightly after an initial burst of good form under manager Ricky Sbragia, who replaced Roy Keane in December, and have one win in the last five matches.
“We need to win our home games,” said Sbragia, who is expected to keep faith with goalkeeper Marton Fulop despite his costly error at Liverpool, and the availability of Scotland No. 1 Craig Gordon.
“Things remain tight in the league so this is a big period for us,” Sbragia added.
“Spurs have a good squad and they shouldn’t really be in this position. But they are because they haven’t won enough games and that shows that it’s not easy in the Premier League,” he said.
Tottenham beat struggling Middlesbrough 4-0 on Wednesday and are likely to field a similar side again, with Robbie Keane set to continue up front after scoring his first goal since returning to the club.
“It’s fairly tight and I think it’s important to see you get a few back-to-back wins and if we can continue doing that we can push up that table,” Keane said. “We’re in a position at the moment where we don’t want to be and with the players we have we shouldn’t be there.”
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