FORMER Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel believes it is advantage Arsenal in the race to secure the final top four position this season.
With Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea set to occupy the top three positions, only one Champions League spot is left up for grabs.
As it stands, five teams are in the race to finish fourth, with Manchester United currently trailing the Citizens, Reds and Blues in the table.
The Red Devils sit four points above fifth-placed West Ham, though Arsenal in sixth have three games in hand over Ralf Rangnick’s men.
Meanwhile Wolves in seventh have played two games fewer than United, with Tottenham also boasting three games over the Old Trafford outfit.
And despite his loyalty to Spurs, who he featured 67 times for between 2011-2015, Friedel is backing the Gunners to return to Europe’s premier competition.
Speaking to SunSport via bet365, the 50-year-old was asked who his money was on to finish fourth.
To which he said: “This is a hard question!
“Man United are now in there again, so it’s incredibly difficult to back one as it could go to three or four teams.
“I hate to say it, but I’m going to have to go with Arsenal even though I really want it to be Tottenham.”
Friedel has also tipped American compatriots Matt Turner and Auston Trusty to be a success at the Emirates when they link up with Arsenal in the summer.
The ex-Blackburn shot-stopper then warned Spurs fans that they will have to get used to inconsistent performances for the rest of the season.
Prior to Saturday’s shock 3-2 victory away at Manchester City, the North London side had lost three Premier League games in a row.
Commenting on Tottenham, Friedel remarked: “I think there’s quite a few players who will be in Antonio Conte‘s plans and there’s quite a few who probably won’t.
“At Tottenham, it takes a little bit longer normally to get the transfers going because Daniel Levy is very good in the transfer market financially.
“He’s never going to put the club in any financial difficulty, and it’ll be easier for him to do all the deals in the summer.
“As we’ve seen over quite a few windows now, in the January transfer window you have to pay a big premium on top of the market rate to get the players you want, but even before we look at potential transfers, I see progression at the club for sure.
“I know they’d lost three on the bounce before the result against Man City, but they’ve got one of the best managers globally at the helm.
“He knows how to win, he knows the players he wants and it’s just going to take a little bit of time to get those players through the door.
“Once those players are in, Antonio Conte is going to have a really strong Tottenham team. They still have really great players now, just not all of them will fit into his squad next season.
“The fans are going to have to deal with a bit of inconsistency and rough patches until he has the players he wants, and the system is in place.
“I don’t foresee any major problems or struggles, I see them building again.”
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