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Love Thy Neighbours…Will Spurs Help Arsenal To Win The Title?

If Arsene Wenger is to defy all the odds and bring Arsenal their first title for 6 years then they will need to put their recent Champions League disappointment quickly behind them and probably win all of their remaining five league matches.
The last minute agony at St. Andrews a fortnight ago has left The Gunners with a mountain to climb which has been made even harder by the absence of influential skipper Cesc Fabregas and former captain William Gallas for the remainder of the season.

Cesc Fabregas Arsenal 2009/10

Fabregas realises his season is over.

That draw at Birmingham, coupled with Chelsea’s win at Old Trafford on Saturday morning, meant that anything less then a victory over relegation threatened Wolves would have seen The Gunners challenge all but over with five matches still to play. And for more then ninety minutes that indeed looked like being the case but an injury time winner from Nicklas Bendtner has keep their dream alive, for the time being at least.

Arsenal v Wolves

Arsenal players engulf Bendtner after his last gasp winner against Wolves on Saturday.

But Wenger’s men may have to call on a favour or two from their neighbours at the other end of the Seven Sisters Road, as after The Gunners visit White Hart Lane this coming Wednesday evening Spurs then face both Manchester United and Chelsea in the run in.

How sweet it would be for The Gooners if their rivals actually helped them win the title! Having clinched the league not once but twice at The Lane in the last 39 years it really would be the ultimate twist now if Spurs were to help them win it again this time.

Football - Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur Barclays Premier League

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp ponders whether his side should help rivals Arsenal win the title or not!

Now normally you would not expect Tottenham to do their North London rivals any favours but as they are so close to clinching that final Champions League spot they cannot really afford to lose to both United and Chelsea in the final straight, even it would mean helping their neighbours out!

The Gunners have not lost this fixture in the Premier League for over ten years but without Fabregas, Gallas and now Arshavin, Redknapp’s men will never have a better chance of ending that record which would probably spell the end of the Arsenal title challenge too. However history shows it usually ends in a draw and a similar result again this time would at least keep Wenger’s men still in with a shout.

After the North London derby Arsenal head to Wigan, another ground like White Hart Lane where their only defeat in the 21st century has come in a League Cup semi final. With Chelsea at The Lane that weekend and United facing their own derby at Manchester City, Arsenal will have the opportunity to make up some ground before then welcoming their old friend Emmanuel Adebayor back to The Emirates on April 24th.

After the great reception afforded to his former striker partner Thierry Henry when Barcelona visited last week it will be interesting to see how the City front man will be received, but the odds are it will not be quiet so amicable following his antics in the reverse fixture at The City of Manchester Stadium back in September!

Football - Manchester City v Bolton Wanderers Barclays Premier League

What sort of reception awaits Adebayor at The Emirates on April 24th?

If everything has gone to plan by then Arsenal should be above United and just a point behind Chelsea going into the final two matches of the season, beginning on May 1st when they visit Blackburn. On the same day the other challengers are also away, The Blues going to Anfield while United travel to Sunderland.

As well as Ancelotti’s men have been playing lately it would be a tall order to expect them to win at Liverpool so soon after victory at Old Trafford so three points for The Gunners at Ewood Park would be enough to take them to the top of the table whatever the United result.

So it would all come down to victory on the last day of the season at home to Fulham. Easier said then done perhaps, but if Wenger had to pick a game to finish with it would surely be against a team who have never previously won at Arsenal and one that will either be planning for an upcoming Europa League final appearance or be feeling the effects of a 60 game season…

Kaizer Chiefs v Manchester United - Vodacom Challenge 

Will it be Arsenal lifting the famous trophy in May?

Written off so many times this season it really would be one of Wenger’s finest achievements if he could lead this team to the title. A long shot? Possibly, but if they continue to show the sort of resilience that has seen them score injury time goals in six of their last seven matches then maybe The Emirates might yet be hosting it’s first ever title party on May 9th… 

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