LONDON • The battle to join Manchester City, Liverpool and almost certainly Chelsea in next season's Champions League is alive after Tottenham Hotspur thrashed north London rivals Arsenal 3-0 on Thursday.
Spurs are now just one point behind the Gunners and can leapfrog them with victory over relegation-threatened Burnley at home in the English Premier League today.
Arsenal are not in action until tomorrow when they travel to Newcastle United and Tottenham forward Harry Kane feels another three points would turn the screw on their rivals as they seek to end a two-season exile from the Champions League.
"We play before them on Sunday, they play Monday night, so I feel like if we can win that, we obviously put a bit more pressure on them," said the England captain.
"I think I'd rather be going first than second, of course. But we still need to go out there and win. Otherwise, it makes their job a lot easier."
Spurs' run-in also appears more favourable than Arsenal's. After Burnley, who are in 17th, above Leeds United only on goal difference, they travel to relegated Norwich City on the final day.
The final game for Mikel Arteta's men will be at home to 16th-placed Everton. The Toffees are two points above the drop zone but their form has been more encouraging of late with seven points from their last three league games.
Having been eighth in the table when Antonio Conte took charge in November, the Italian is close to completing the turnaround, which a top-four finish would represent.
The former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss had questioned the quality of his Spurs squad earlier in the season, but the serial winner is now in no doubt about the character of his players and wants the 12th man to back them, just like they did against Arsenal.
"(The fans) pushed us from the start until the end. Now, I ask our fans to do the same on Sunday because we have another must-win game against Burnley," he said. "We are playing against a team trying to avoid relegation."
The result between Spurs and Burnley also has huge ramifications at the bottom.
Leeds sit in the bottom three due to their much-inferior goal difference as compared to Burnley.
Should Leeds fail to halt a losing run at home to in-form Brighton & Hove Albion, they could be virtually relegated today. "We feel like we have to win the match," said Leeds manager Jesse Marsch.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
TOTTENHAM V BURNLEY
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