Former Arsenal Star Mesut Ozil has promised to never make fun of Spurs again if they manage to take something from Manchester City on Tuesday night.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 07: Mesut Oezil of Arsenal celebrates scoring the opening goal with team mates during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at White Hart Lane on February 7, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 07: Mesut Oezil of Arsenal celebrates scoring the opening goal with team mates during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at White Hart Lane on February 7, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Tottenham fans are facing a nightmare. They need their side to beat Manchester City to be in with a chance of finishing ahead of Aston Villa to clinch the final Champions League spot but they know that, in doing that, they all but hand the Premier League title to Arsenal.

With Arsenal one point ahead of City as we head towards the final game, what happens on Tuesday night will go a long way to determining where the title ends up on the final weekend.

“I’m going to be the biggest fan of Tottenham ever,” Kai Havertz said after Arsenal beat Manchester United on Sunday, “We all are going to be! Let’s hope for the best.”

He’s not alone, with fellow German and former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil making an hilarious promise.

“First time ever tonight: COME ON YOU SPURSSS!!😁,” he wrote on Twitter. “If Tottenham don’t lose this game I will never make fun of them again… I promise 🤞🏼”

Those paying attention, will notice his crossed fingers. After all, who could commit fully to that sort of promise?

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium in London on September 24, 2023. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium in London on September 24, 2023. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is also hopeful Spurs can do his side a favour: “We know we need a Spurs win, and they are a really tough team to play against as we saw a few weeks ago [in Arsenal’s 3-2 win]. But hopefully they do it.”

Tottenham players and manager, meanwhile, are adamant that they will give everything, although you’d be hard pushed to find any Arsenal fan who believes them. That being said, with Liverpool holding Aston Villa to a draw on Monday night, Spurs still have a sliver of Champions League hope that dies completely should they fail to beat City.

Tottenham players, including Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, say they are focused on their own goal of securing a top-four finish. They recognise the significance of the match for Arsenal but emphasise their professional duty to win for Tottenham.

“Of course we will be giving everything on Tuesday,” Maddison said. “We are professionals. The only way we can qualify for the Champions League is if we win all our games, so (helping Arsenal) that’s one for the fans to talk about, not us players.”

Kulusevski, meanwhile, explained why Tottenham held their end-of-season lap of honour at the weekend when the game against City is their final home game. “It was a strange feeling but it was for the kids today because it was an afternoon game but the season is not over, absolutely not,” he said. Sure.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has also reiterated his team’s determination to challenge the league’s best, stating, “I think we’ve got what it takes to make a game of it and play our football and see where that takes us.

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Ange Postecoglou, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur, looks dejected during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 28, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 28: Ange Postecoglou, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur, looks dejected during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 28, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

“They’re an outstanding team and they and Arsenal are the benchmark of the competition right now. They’re 20-odd points ahead of us and we’ve got some ground to make up, but it’s at our place, it’s 95 minutes of football and we’re going to have a crack.”

In another interview, Postecoglou said, “You think the majority of our fans are not going to want us to win? I don’t see it that way. I think the majority of our fans will create the atmosphere they always create at our games.

“We’ve got a game of football to win and that’s what we’ll try to do. Man City haven’t won it yet and if you think they have, then it becomes an issue because we’re rolling out a red carpet for them and I’m not going to do that.

“I’m not just going to sit there and watch them win. That doesn’t sit comfortably with me.

“A proportion of our fans [want us to lose]? What does that mean?

“What proportion? 50 per cent? 20 per cent? One per cent?

“That’s fine, people are allowed to feel the way they do.

“But I think I’ve been consistent and really strong in my beliefs that it’s important for this football club not to look for silver bullets to get to where we want to, it’s hard work, it’s resilience, it’s quality, not to fall for any false dawns – and know what real success looks like: trophies.

“Anything else in between, bragging rights, whatever it is, is absolutely meaningless to me or anyone involved with me. We’ve got a game we want to win.”