bwin Sportsblog - Football - Spurs look to state title claim in London derby

It’s been fully 50 years since Tottenham Hotspur last won a top-flight title, but there’s a growing belief in one small corner of north London that a push for Premier League glory is a realistic ambition this season. A Roman Pavlyuchenko goal was enough to see off Sunderland at White Hart Lane on Sunday and keep Harry Redknapp’s men in third place, seven points behind leaders Manchester City with a game in hand.

However, a major test of Spurs’ championship credentials arrives on Thursday as fourth-placed Chelsea make the trip across the capital for a potentially explosive festive derby. The Blues will be desperate to pick up a victory which would move them a point clear of Spurs (albeit having played a game more) after conceding a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Wigan over the weekend.

Manchester City are another team who have not tasted title glory for a generation, but their new-found wealth has propelled them to the top of the table and they will spend Christmas there too if they can see off Stoke City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. The Citizens were given a real run for their money by Arsenal last time out but managed to leapfrog rivals Manchester United – who won 2-0 at QPR to hit the front temporarily – with a solitary David Silva strike.

United have plenty of injury concerns ahead of their trip to Fulham but boss Sir Alex Ferguson will be delighted with their impressive league form of late, which could well continue with a midweek triumph at Craven Cottage. Fifth-placed Arsenal find themselves three points behind Chelsea in the race for Champions League places and will look to bounce back from their brave reverse against City when they travel to Aston Villa.

Liverpool moved alongside the Gunners on 29 points with a comfortable 2-0 success at Villa Park last weekend and can strengthen their top-four claims by taking maximum points from their visit to Wigan on Wednesday. Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, there is a veritable relegation six-pointer on Tuesday evening as the division’s bottom two teams, Blackburn and Bolton, face off at Ewood Park.

The build-up to the match has been dominated by rumours surrounding the futures of Rovers boss Steve Kean and Wanderers manager Owen Coyle, with suggestions that either may find themselves out of a job come Boxing Day if they fall to defeat. Basement boys Bolton will be particularly determined to grab the win which would see them overtake 19th-placed Blackburn, as only one team in the Premier League era have ever managed to avoid relegation after being bottom at Christmas.