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Former Leeds United star Jermaine Beckford has claimed Tottenham Hotspur will not win both their remaining Premier League games after he saw them playing the Whites.
Tottenham missed the chance to put further distance between themselves and the relegation zone after being held to a 1-1 draw by Leeds United on Monday, leaving the north London side sitting just two points above West Ham United.
Roberto De Zerbi missed out on a third straight win, but extended his unbeaten run to four matches after losing only his opening game against former club Brighton.
With only two fixtures remaining, one of the London clubs appear set for the drop, with the Salford City boss tipping Spurs for relegation, while a former top-flight player admitted the Lilywhites finally look alert and prepared for the battle ahead.
The Irons face a difficult trip to Newcastle United on Sunday before hosting Daniel Farke’s men at the London Stadium on the final day of the season.
Meanwhile, Tottenham must first navigate a London derby away to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before wrapping up the campaign at N17 against Everton.
Beckford suggested Tottenham face a serious battle to preserve their Premier League status, pointing to tough tests against Chelsea and Everton, while stressing how quickly form can be rendered irrelevant in derby clashes alongside Everton’s recent resurgence.
Tottenham West Ham Chelsea (A) Newcastle (A) Everton (H) Leeds United (H) Remaining games
The former Jamaica international added that Spurs will also be anxiously keeping tabs on the Hammer’s remaining fixtures, before admitting he finds it difficult to see the north London side winning both of their final matches.
Beckford said on LUTV (29:32): “They’ve got two really tricky fixtures coming up.
“Chelsea, listen, anything could happen against Chelsea.
“You don’t know which Chelsea side are going to turn up.
“It’s a London derby, so, you know, form goes out of the window and it’s just one side of London against another.
“And in the last game of the season, Everton, who have hit some really good form recently as well.
“Spurs will be worrying, especially looking at West Ham.
“West Ham have got Newcastle away and then they have to play against us [Leeds] at their place.
“So Spurs have to win both games.
“I can’t see them winning both games.”
Handed the responsibility of guiding Tottenham to safety alongside one of the top salaries in the division, De Zerbi arrived under scrutiny from Richard Keys, with the club’s survival hopes now resting on the final two matches of the campaign.
However, Spurs have shown encouraging signs of improvement under the former Marseille boss, with one Leeds figure pointing to a more aggressive edge in their play, while a former Premier League star suggested the north London side finally have a recognisable identity again under the Italian.