Saturday’s demolition at the Etihad was just the latest entry in Tottenham Hotspur’s rollercoaster ride and a reminder of the heights this club can reach. This win was of course followed by defeats against Ipswich and Galatasaray, which also reminds everyone how low things can go at this club too. What comes next is anyone’s guess, but a win on Thursday would certainly be welcomed.

That’s because Roma are coming to London for the final round of Europa League games, which represents Tottenham’s biggest hurdle in the league stage. A win would put the Spurs in great shape for a bye in the Knockout Playoff; Anything else threatens to keep qualification in limbo and prevent a lull in the last two competitions. Just as important is just keeping spirits up after the weekend’s triumph (apart from the news about Guglielmo Vicario).

Tottenham Hotspur (T-7th, 9 points) vs Roma (T-19th, 5 points)

Date: Thursday, November 28th
Time: 3pm ET, 8pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: Paramount+ (US), TNT Sports 1 (UK)

Things aren’t going so well in Rome. A brutal start in Serie A sees the club finish in 13th place, and a 1-2-1 start in the Europa League isn’t exactly the start of this competition either. This led to Daniele De Rossi being dismissed early and Ivan Juric not lasting long, leading to Claudio Ranieri taking charge.

Spurs have not played Roma in any competitive games, which is strange considering how many other Italian teams have made their way to north London. The last three such incidents have all occurred in the Champions League, with Juventus and Milan knocking Tottenham out of the competition and Spurs splitting the group stage against Inter during that magical run.

Trot forward

The inconsistency of the Spurs season has many factors, although a running theme is battling low blocks and facing wide-open opponents. With Ranieri recently appointed and looking to simply stop the bleeding, it stands to reason that Roma will be strong defensively, giving the home side another challenge to overcome. I won’t waste any more time predicting lineups, but I feel like Ange Postecoglou needs to incorporate some creative elements to create an attacking threat.

Meanwhile, Artem Dovbyk and Paulo Dybala (sigh) are the dangerous opponents, even if Roma generally find it difficult to score goals. After Victor Osimhen wiped out Tottenham’s reserve defense and Fraser Forster, I’m still a little scared of Europe, although the Ben Davies-Radu Dragusin pairing quieted the doubters against City. This will probably be a tricky contest, but I think Spurs fans will be grateful when this is over.