Tottenham star called ‘outstanding’ as pundit weighs in on top-four ‘trophy’ race with Arsenal

Jonathan Woodgate has labelled a Tottenham player ‘absolutely outstanding’ and called fourth spot a ‘trophy’ for them and Arsenal.

Both north London sides won at the weekend to keep things pretty much as they were before. Tottenham beat Leicester 3-1 at home, with Harry Kane and Heung-min Son (2) both getting on the scoresheet.

The Foxes scored late through Kelechi Iheanacho but could not mount a comeback at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Arsenal, meanwhile, went to West Ham and picked up a 2-1 win. Gunners defenders Rob Holding and Gabriel found the net either side of Jarrod Bowen.

The results maintain Arsenal’s two-point lead on Tottenham with four matches of the Premier League season left.

Woodgate thinks the north London derby on Thursday May 12 could shape both clubs’ seasons.

“You just can’t ignore how much next week’s north London derby matters when you talk about the race for the top four,” he wrote in a column for BBC Sport.

“It’s absolutely huge, for all sorts of reasons. Like a lot of people, I think whoever wins that game will end up in the Champions League places – but good luck trying to predict who that will be.

“I don’t think it matters who has their noses ahead in the table going into the derby, either. Because of what is at stake, both teams will throw everything they have got at each other.

“It will feel like a cup final, because fourth place is like a trophy now for Arsenal and Tottenham, with what being back in the Champions League next season would mean for both clubs.

“Whoever makes it will have had a successful campaign but it is what happens next that is really important. Quite simply, offering Champions League football makes the difference between being able to sign certain players, or not.”

Tot