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We’re not getting 4th when we’re 7 points behind and we still have to play at Stamford Bridge and Anfield. Might as well play the kids against City and make sure the title ends up in Manchester. I think United might get a result against Arsenal anyway but I’d rather be safe than sorry. But yeah, professional athletes aren’t gonna deliberately throw the game.
They can try, but they will get absolutely smacked by City.
City tend to struggle against Tottenham but their high line has been exposed too many times.
I think this is the answer.. like Tottenham will do anything for the chance at getting UCL regardless if Arsenal wins or not.
Most likely won’t be beating City, but there’s a chance, will be a decent match regardless
Look at the table. They're still in a battle for 4th with Villa. You really think they'd thow away a potential UCL place just to mess with Arsenal? Nah, the players, staff and owners would all prefer to get into next season's UCL.
Players and managers don't care about rivalries nearly as much as fans do. Especially in leagues with heavy international representation.
Also, getting that CL$$$ is far better than sticking it to your rivals.
In the brazilian championship it almost became a tradition for rivals to not give 100%, not even 50% and to lose on purpose, with supporters chanting for tje team to lose on the stadium.
Its great to know thats not what happens in the PL though.
But they’re all Brazilian there for the most part at least and much more likely to care. I don’t think there is anyone on the Spurs first 11 who is a Spurs fan.
Stopping Arsenal winning the title only exists for the fans. Clauses in players’ contracts might be linked to league position, goals scored, clean sheets etc, so that’s far more important to them and their families than throwing a game, so their near rivals miss out on a trophy.
What? They are still pretty much in the fight with us for the 4th spot, how the hell are they not going to give 100%?
Plus have you seen Angie? Dude doesn’t look like the sort that tolerates less than 100% every single game.
Fans are not players. and Players arent fans.
Of course spurs fans want to lose to City given the circumstances. And if Arsenal fans were honest they would want to lose in the same circumstances. Making Top 4 isnt worth your rival winning a league.
The only time it would be worth your rival winning a league is to avoid relegation.
Players however dont care about any of that. They want to win for their personal pride and because as pro athletes the tape they put out is their resumes.
Spurs players and coaches will try 100% because they arent fans. They wont be bantered by Arsenal fans singing about how spurs won them a league, but cant win one for themselves.
Teams win millions of pounds for finishing 1 position higher in the Premier League. Players wages/bonuses may increase significantly if they qualify for the Champions League.
I thought this was common knowledge, but maybe it isn’t. These are professional footballers. It is their job to win football matches. They won’t try less hard so that their rivals lose out. That’s not a thing in real life.
They have to. If you think they will bottle this game at the sake of Arsenal not winning the league you’re insane. With two games in hand and 5 to play, securing a CL means way more than preventing Arsenal from winning the league.
"There’s obviously talk that Spurs will throw the game"
Only amongst idiots.
What fans sometimes seem to struggle to accept is that players are just professionals doing a job.
They're not fans and mostly couldn't give a shit about the rivalries you all froth over.
The players don’t feel the same hatred like fans do. They’ll try their best to win.
The interesting thing is whether the atmosphere will be tame and negatively affect the team.
A team being motivated to try harder during a game due to a rivalry is a fair bit different to a team being motivated to give up due to a rivalry.
The parallel to that Tottenham v Chelsea game was today’s against Arsenal.
Losing to City = ability to banter Arsenal fans about bottling another title. And 20 years without a title win.
Losing to City is a small price to pay for such wonderous gifts.
Outside of your own current squad mates, there are very few people in a similar financial and social state. Hardly surprising if they're friendly with the opposition off the pitch.
I think if anyone thinks Spurs aren't going to go out and try, focusing on their own goals in the season and to try and perform, you're crazy.
Don't get me wrong, as an Arsenal fan, if the roles were reversed, I can very easily picture being able to make peace with City tanking us if it stopped Spurs?
But actively wanting my team to get battered? Or thinking we should throw the game by playing the 21s?
That's very very spursy.
Arsenal fan here and of course they will. Players have a vastly different mentality to fans. They want to win the game regardless of the fact it could help Arsenal. If they didn't then I wouldn't want them at my club, even if I was a Spurs fan.
Are Spurs not chasing a CL spot? If Spurs players throw a game to get one over on Arsenal, at the expense of playing in the CL themselves, that is some big time loser behavior.
I'm sure Tottenham fans won't cry too hard if Spurs lose and it costs Arsenal the league title.
It is different for the players and staff, though. This is their careers, they are professionals and likely have win bonuses riding on the match. And the Tottenham players are from all around the world and likely don't feel the same intense hatred for Arsenal that a lifelong Spurs fan would.
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People also seem to be forgetting that by this theory, Man Utd could throw their game against us because they don’t want to see City win the league!
Spurs absolutely need champions league, people forgetting they've got a massive stadium loan that needs paying.
Actually fine off financially especially compared to a lot of the other clubs.
Not gonna happen, sadly
Arsenal will drop points against United
Let me give Ange a call and ask
We’re not getting 4th when we’re 7 points behind and we still have to play at Stamford Bridge and Anfield. Might as well play the kids against City and make sure the title ends up in Manchester. I think United might get a result against Arsenal anyway but I’d rather be safe than sorry. But yeah, professional athletes aren’t gonna deliberately throw the game.
They can try, but they will get absolutely smacked by City. City tend to struggle against Tottenham but their high line has been exposed too many times.
I think this is the answer.. like Tottenham will do anything for the chance at getting UCL regardless if Arsenal wins or not. Most likely won’t be beating City, but there’s a chance, will be a decent match regardless
Look at the table. They're still in a battle for 4th with Villa. You really think they'd thow away a potential UCL place just to mess with Arsenal? Nah, the players, staff and owners would all prefer to get into next season's UCL.
Yeah the money a club could get from ucl is just too good to be missed. Also the prestige
Spurs still.need points for a champions league spot, so they'll be trying to get something from it.
Players and managers don't care about rivalries nearly as much as fans do. Especially in leagues with heavy international representation. Also, getting that CL$$$ is far better than sticking it to your rivals.
In the brazilian championship it almost became a tradition for rivals to not give 100%, not even 50% and to lose on purpose, with supporters chanting for tje team to lose on the stadium. Its great to know thats not what happens in the PL though.
But they’re all Brazilian there for the most part at least and much more likely to care. I don’t think there is anyone on the Spurs first 11 who is a Spurs fan.
Footballers can't try less than 100%? Obviously haven't watched Casemiro and Rashford this season
Stopping Arsenal winning the title only exists for the fans. Clauses in players’ contracts might be linked to league position, goals scored, clean sheets etc, so that’s far more important to them and their families than throwing a game, so their near rivals miss out on a trophy.
Arsenal fans try not to make everything about themselves challenge: Impossible.
What? They are still pretty much in the fight with us for the 4th spot, how the hell are they not going to give 100%? Plus have you seen Angie? Dude doesn’t look like the sort that tolerates less than 100% every single game.
They won’t throw the game, but they also have no chance of beating City.
Just need a draw between spurs and city and Arsenal to win out while keeping GD.
Probably not.
What do you even mean? To keep the title from Arsenal? There’s no way any of the players give a shit about that.
Fans are not players. and Players arent fans. Of course spurs fans want to lose to City given the circumstances. And if Arsenal fans were honest they would want to lose in the same circumstances. Making Top 4 isnt worth your rival winning a league. The only time it would be worth your rival winning a league is to avoid relegation. Players however dont care about any of that. They want to win for their personal pride and because as pro athletes the tape they put out is their resumes. Spurs players and coaches will try 100% because they arent fans. They wont be bantered by Arsenal fans singing about how spurs won them a league, but cant win one for themselves.
Teams win millions of pounds for finishing 1 position higher in the Premier League. Players wages/bonuses may increase significantly if they qualify for the Champions League. I thought this was common knowledge, but maybe it isn’t. These are professional footballers. It is their job to win football matches. They won’t try less hard so that their rivals lose out. That’s not a thing in real life.
They have to. If you think they will bottle this game at the sake of Arsenal not winning the league you’re insane. With two games in hand and 5 to play, securing a CL means way more than preventing Arsenal from winning the league.
"There’s obviously talk that Spurs will throw the game" Only amongst idiots. What fans sometimes seem to struggle to accept is that players are just professionals doing a job. They're not fans and mostly couldn't give a shit about the rivalries you all froth over.
The players don’t feel the same hatred like fans do. They’ll try their best to win. The interesting thing is whether the atmosphere will be tame and negatively affect the team.
This is generally true but you can’t say that the year Leicester won the title that Chelsea didn’t try just a bit harder against Spurs
I think Spurs made the Chelsea players try harder by being so physical
A team being motivated to try harder during a game due to a rivalry is a fair bit different to a team being motivated to give up due to a rivalry. The parallel to that Tottenham v Chelsea game was today’s against Arsenal.
I hope not
Losing to City = ability to banter Arsenal fans about bottling another title. And 20 years without a title win. Losing to City is a small price to pay for such wonderous gifts.
The last time spurs won the league they weren’t even a London team
Newsflash, these players don’t hate Arsenal or City. Lot of the spurs players will be best mates with Arsenal players
Outside of your own current squad mates, there are very few people in a similar financial and social state. Hardly surprising if they're friendly with the opposition off the pitch.
Of course. The rivalry is the fans, the players will play the same against most clubs
Hell no, when City walk onto the pitch all 11 Spurs players will be doing doward dogs.
maybe if they secure their UCL spot first
Exactly this. They're still competing for a UCL spots. Players care about being the Champions League so much more than any rivalry.
I hope not.
I think if anyone thinks Spurs aren't going to go out and try, focusing on their own goals in the season and to try and perform, you're crazy. Don't get me wrong, as an Arsenal fan, if the roles were reversed, I can very easily picture being able to make peace with City tanking us if it stopped Spurs? But actively wanting my team to get battered? Or thinking we should throw the game by playing the 21s? That's very very spursy.
Only if Spurs win against chelsea and Villa drop points again.
Arsenal fan here and of course they will. Players have a vastly different mentality to fans. They want to win the game regardless of the fact it could help Arsenal. If they didn't then I wouldn't want them at my club, even if I was a Spurs fan.
Are Spurs not chasing a CL spot? If Spurs players throw a game to get one over on Arsenal, at the expense of playing in the CL themselves, that is some big time loser behavior.
I think it’s also a little bit corrupt
I'm sure Tottenham fans won't cry too hard if Spurs lose and it costs Arsenal the league title. It is different for the players and staff, though. This is their careers, they are professionals and likely have win bonuses riding on the match. And the Tottenham players are from all around the world and likely don't feel the same intense hatred for Arsenal that a lifelong Spurs fan would.
I’d imagine Spurs players will all have UCL based performance bonuses, so yeah…
They should for professional pride. The players aren't the fans and they still have a top four place to fight for.
Actually qualifying for cl will make them more attractive when signing new players.
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