Tim Shewood: Tottenham must win remaining games to finish in top four

Tim Sherwood believes Tottenham Hotspur need to win all of their remaining games to have a chance of finishing in the top four this season.

Spurs are currently sixth in the table and seven points behind fourth-placed Arsenal ahead of a daunting trip to title contenders Liverpool on Sunday.

If we get maximum points in all of our remaining games I think we will be very close to fourth

Tim Sherwood

And Sherwood reckons victory at Anfield would provide a platform from which Spurs could go on and seal a return to the Champions League.

“It would be huge [for Tottenham] because it would give us a massive platform to build in the remaining six games,” Sherwood told his pre-match media conference.

“If we get maximum points in all of our remaining games I think we will be very close to fourth.”

Pressed on Tottenham’s realistic chances of securing a top-four finish, Sherwood admitted that Spurs are relying on the likes of Arsenal and Everton to slip up.

“Realistically, it is going to be tough but I keep saying we’re out of it and I come into a press conference after getting three points and people are still asking if we can make it,” Sherwood added.

“So it must be there for us and you guys know that with a good run between now and the end of the season, anything is possible.

“But someone is going to have to falter in front of us and we’re looking for them to do that.”

Tottenham have only taken points off the top four once this season – a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at White Hart Lane – and suffered a 5-0 loss to Liverpool in December.

And Sherwood is under no illusion that the north London side’s record against their big rivals hasn’t been good enough following their recent 4-0 loss at Stamford Bridge.

“We need to improve – certainly in the big games,” Sherwood continued.

“We picked up points at Old Trafford when they were on the back of a six-game run. We beat Everton and the teams around us. We went away to Newcastle and won very comfortably.

“We beat Southampton twice. You are absolutely right. We need to do it to the teams just a little bit ahead of us and it is something we’re striving to do.”