Emmanuel Adebayor expects six teams to be fighting for UEFA Champions League qualification this season, including his own Tottenham Hotspur.
The Togo international spent last season on loan at White Hart Lane, playing a key role as they finished fourth in the Premier League table. Unfortunately for them, this wasn’t enough to secure entrance to the Champions League, as Chelsea, who finished two places below, qualified after winning the giant pot.
Adebayor finally clinched a permanent £5million move to Spurs earlier this week, after the Londoners reached an agreement with Manchester City over his payoff. And whilst the 28-year-old has targeted another top four finish this term, he accepts that the competition is fiercer than ever this time round.
Whilst his former club are sure to be in contention for the title, most probably with neighbours United, he believes the fight for the remaining two spots will be intense with Arsenal, Newcastle United and Roberto Di Matteo’s European champions all looking to push on over the duration of the coming nine months.
“Last year was quite intense,” Adebayor told Spurs TV. “And this season every game will be difficult as you saw at Newcastle on Saturday. They have a good team. Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle will all be fighting for the top four spots. It’s not going to be easy.”
Adebayor’s assessment is hardly ground breaking. He has basically selected the best half-dozen teams in the country and offered his opinion that these will be fighting for a top-four finish during the course of the season. Brendan Rodgers, though, will hope his Liverpool side can gatecrash this group of six, whilst neighbours Everton have set their sights on emulating Newcastle’s achievements of last season.
Andre Villas-Boas, meanwhile, began his reign as Tottenham coach with a 2-1 loss at St James Park on Saturday, but will be looking to bounce back when West Bromwich Albion, who stunned Liverpool 3-0 at the Hawthorns, travel to the Lane this weekend.
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