After Chelsea's victory from the claws of defeat at Villa Park yesterday, it now looks like it'll be a fight to the death between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal for the final Champions League slot. The Gunners are favourites with the extra point and in reality, two extra points, given the their vastly superior goal difference over their North London rivals, but Spurs will be hoping to push it all the way to the final day of the season with a victory in front of the Sky Cameras at the Britannia Stadium today. For the home side, Monday's point at the Stadium of Light had all but guaranteed their Premier League status for another season, but they weren't officially safe until Villa threw away two points at home to Chelsea yesterday. Although Wigan can still catch them, because The Latics play Villa on the final day of the season, it's now no longer possible for both sides to finish above The Potters. Not that their confirmed survival is likely to see Stoke make it easy for Spurs in front of a live television audience.
Here's the team news ahead of the game... Stoke midfielder Glenn Whelan is a doubt with a groin injury that kept him out of Monday's 1-1 draw at Sunderland. Former Black Cat Dean Whitehead would be expected to keep his starting birth should Whelan fail in his fitness test. The Potters will also need to assess defenders Marc Wilson and Andy Wilkinson, both of whom are carrying knocks. For Spurs, Mousa Dembele is expected to return after missing the midweek draw against Chelsea because of a hamstring injury. Gylfi Sigurdsson is pushing for a start after scoring as a substitute in that game.
Here's the likely line-ups for today's game; Stoke: Begovic, Shotton, Shawcross, Huth, Wilson, Walters, Nzonzi, Whitehead, Adam, Crouch, Jerome Spurs: Lloris, Walker, Dawson, Caulker, Vertonghen, Lennon, Parker, Dembele, Sigurdsson, Bale, Adebayor source -
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