A problem for both teams in this north London derby, however, is they can’t but think about what all of this means. It’s just the latest version of this fixture described as maybe the most important ever. Whatever the truth of that, it is certainly one where both have to produce. This is a game beyond theory or process. It’s to do, or die. A Tottenham Hotspur defeat could put them definitively behind Aston Villa in the Champions League chase with just five games left.
