talkSPORT pundit says Ange favourite at Tottenham has drastically fell off

talkSPORT pundit Alan Pardew has claimed that one star Tottenham mainstay really needs to step up his game as we enter the final phase of this Premier League season.

Over the last two months, it’s become increasingly clear that Spurs and Aston Villa are the main contenders for a final place in the top four and subsequent Champions League football.

With seven games left to play, it is Ange Postecoglou’s side who hold the advantage. Currently level on points with Villa but holding fourth with a slightly superior goal difference, Spurs also possess a game in hand and are firmly in the driving seat as things stand.

However, all it takes is one bad weekend for the pendulum to swing back in Villa’s favour, and Postecoglou has a few tough hurdles to jump before the end of play on May 19th.

Tottenham must host title-contending Arsenal and Man City over the next month and a half, while also having to make the trip to Anfield for a crunch clash against Liverpool, who are also in with a real shot at Premier League glory.

Postecoglou’s side most recently sealed an important victory over Nottingham Forest, with an own goal from Murillo, plus screamers courtesy of Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven, cancelling out Chris Wood’s equaliser in a 3-1 home win.

Despite the obvious importance of Champions League football, Postecoglou was quick to play down his side’s control of fourth spot as something to celebrate, as he has done a lot of times this season.

“Couldn’t care less about the race for fourth mate,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham’s win over Forest.

“What I care about is the way the team is progressing. Pleased with today. It had a little bit of everything. We started the game well, not just the goal, I thought we controlled the game well.

“Then we conceded from a counter attack which was obviously disappointing. I thought we lost our way a little bit towards the back end of that first half, but a super reaction and the whole second half we were really dominant.”

Postecoglou will want to see his team progress further in the final run-in, and a player who he’ll need to chip in is James Maddison. The former Leicester City star has enjoyed a great season overall, with Maddison attracting praise on multiple occasions, but Pardew says he hasn’t been at the level required recently.

Alan Pardew says Maddison must improve for final Tottenham run-in

Speaking to talkSPORT, via HITC, Pardew claims Maddison hasn’t been in the best form for Tottenham lately.

“He (Son) has been terrific and so has Maddison, although Maddison has definitely dropped off since that injury,” said Pardew.

“He is not having that same effect, and I think – we were saying earlier – if he is going to feature in the European Championship in the starting XI, he has got about six or seven games to get back up to form.”