Tottenham must beat Sunderland at White Hart Lane

Tottenham Hotspur must beat Sunderland on Sunday to stand any chance of pipping local rivals Arsenal to UEFA Champions League qualification.

A seven-game unbeaten run has kept Spurs in the hunt for a top-four finish and, not for the first time, it has boiled down to a final day shoot-out with Arsenal.

If the Gunners fail to win at Newcastle United, then a Spurs win over another team from the North East will clinch a place in the Champions League qualifiers for Andre Villas-Boas' side.

Sunderland have nothing to play for and that could work in Spurs' favour, but Villas-Boas has already seen his team suffer surprise home defeats by Wigan and Fulham this season.

Gareth Bale will undoubtedly be the central figure to Spurs' prospects of claiming a win, but at least last week's triumph at Stoke City proved they are not completely reliant on the Welshman's goals.

The 2-1 success at the Britannia Stadium was the first time that Tottenham had won in the league without a goal from Bale since New Year's Day.

Sunderland head to the capital assured of Premier League football next season after Wigan's defeat at Arsenal in midweek settled the sole outstanding relegation issue.

Paolo Di Canio has collected eight points from six games since replacing Martin O'Neill and will be targeting a shock success to take momentum into next term.

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