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A supercomputer has predicted Tottenham Hotspur’s chances of securing a finish in the Premier League European places this season.
The Lilywhites, for the first time in two seasons, can begin to look upwards in the Premier League table following their run of two consecutive wins.
Despite showing quality in most of their games this season but failing to pick up results, Spurs finally appear to have gathered momentum.
They secured victory against an in-form Coventry City in matchweek seven before repeating the feat against their London rivals Chelsea, beating them 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
This run of results now leaves Tottenham in 14th place, just four points behind fifth-placed Chelsea, three points clear of the drop zone and six points off the top four.
With momentum on their side, a supercomputer has now shared its prediction on where the Lilywhites might finish this season.
Opta’s supercomputer has predicted Spurs to finish as high as 11th in the Premier League this campaign – a position that would confirm the Lilywhites avoid a relegation scrap after last season’s 17th-place finish.
However, that projection also means Tottenham would fall short of European football, despite the AI forecasting a marked improvement from last term.
According to its forecast, Spurs have a 5.49% chance of finishing in the Champions League spots, which could include fifth place this season, while they have a 4.98% chance of qualifying for the Europa League.
Perhaps more importantly, the supercomputer has given Tottenham a 9.67% chance of avoiding relegation, with nine other teams having worse odds – despite Spurs currently sitting three points clear of the drop zone.
| # | Team | pPOS | POS | pPTS | PTS | +PTS | Title | UCL | UEL | REL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 1 | 2 | 79.90 | 21 | +58.90 | 57.15% | 97.08% | 1.53% | 0.00% |
| 2 | Manchester City | 2 | 1 | 75.49 | 21 | +54.49 | 31.98% | 92.06% | 3.88% | 0.01% |
| 3 | Liverpool | 3 | 4 | 63.99 | 15 | +48.99 | 4.38% | 54.13% | 12.19% | 0.15% |
| 4 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 4 | 3 | 63.44 | 16 | +47.44 | 4.05% | 53.35% | 12.61% | 0.13% |
| 5 | Aston Villa | 5 | 9 | 57.67 | 11 | +46.67 | 0.79% | 25.84% | 11.88% | 1.64% |
| 6 | Chelsea | 6 | 5 | 57.35 | 13 | +44.35 | 0.89% | 24.46% | 12.02% | 1.44% |
| 7 | Brentford | 7 | 6 | 51.54 | 11 | +40.54 | 0.18% | 9.45% | 6.79% | 5.81% |
| 8 | Bournemouth | 8 | 13 | 50.65 | 9 | +41.65 | 0.12% | 7.72% | 6.45% | 7.78% |
| 9 | Leeds United | 9 | 7 | 50.10 | 11 | +39.10 | 0.11% | 6.97% | 5.46% | 7.90% |
| 10 | Newcastle United | 10 | 8 | 49.48 | 11 | +38.48 | 0.12% | 5.96% | 4.65% | 9.55% |
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur | 11 | 14 | 49.28 | 9 | +40.28 | 0.09% | 5.49% | 4.98% | 9.67% |
| 12 | Everton | 12 | 11 | 49.09 | 10 | +39.09 | 0.08% | 5.86% | 4.84% | 10.82% |
| 13 | Manchester United | 13 | 16 | 47.74 | 7 | +40.74 | 0.01% | 4.27% | 4.15% | 12.70% |
| 14 | Ipswich Town | 14 | 12 | 43.82 | 10 | +33.82 | 0.01% | 1.53% | 1.71% | 25.95% |
| 15 | Fulham | 15 | 15 | 43.16 | 8 | +35.16 | 0.02% | 1.40% | 1.55% | 27.57% |
| 16 | Hull City | 16 | 10 | 43.23 | 10 | +33.23 | 0.00% | 1.29% | 1.39% | 26.92% |
| 17 | Nottingham Forest | 17 | 18 | 43.02 | 6 | +37.02 | 0.01% | 1.32% | 1.41% | 27.92% |
| 18 | Crystal Palace | 18 | 17 | 42.11 | 7 | +35.11 | 0.01% | 0.95% | 1.20% | 33.33% |
| 19 | Sunderland | 19 | 20 | 39.87 | 5 | +34.87 | 0.00% | 0.58% | 0.77% | 42.09% |
| 20 | Coventry City | 20 | 19 | 38.70 | 6 | +32.70 | 0.00% | 0.29% | 0.54% | 48.62% |
These are, of course, only predictions, and Spurs’ destiny rests firmly on their own shoulders. With the momentum they have, there’s no reason why Tottenham cannot aim for a much higher finish.
Former United full-back turned pundit Gary Neville even believes sixth place is something Spurs can achieve.
He said, speaking after Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with United: “I actually think if Tottenham can maintain that level of performance, in the way in which they actually approached the game, they will win a lot of football matches and they’ll score a lot of goals.
“Keep those talented players out on the pitch. Get them working hard. Keep that compactness in your defence. Make sure that you wrap the passes into each other and you’ve got a tempo of passing like you’ve had. He does know how to coach a football team, Roberto De Zerbi. We’ve seen that with Brighton. We know that he’s got that sort of good way about him.
“So you’re right. I wouldn’t say it’s a certain thing that they’re going to all of a sudden fly up the table. But I actually think Tottenham will start to gradually push up towards top six, eight in the next couple of months. I do think we’ll start to see that sort of movement up the table. I do feel that.”
If Spurs are to finish in the European places, they must continue picking up points, and the next five games will be absolutely crucial in mounting a serious challenge for European football.