Gustavo Poyet will stride into battle against Tottenham tonight but he cannot help glancing excitedly towards next season. Chelsea's Uruguayan mid-fielder booked his club a place in next season's Champions' League with the winner against Leeds last week. And he is relishing the chance to put two injury-hit seasons behind him by staying fit enough to play his part in another long European campaign.
Poyet cemented his popularity at Stamford Bridge after returning from injury to score a crucial goal in Chelsea's season for the second time since moving to London from Real Zaragoza two years ago. Last term, he came back after six months to score Chelsea's first in the European Cup Winners' Cup semi-final second leg against Vicenza which helped the Blues lift their first European trophy for 27 years.
But 31-year-old Poyet, who has never played in the Champions' League, reckons the header which finally ended the Premiership challenge of Leeds could prove even more important.
He said: "It could be the most important goal of my career. The dream has become a reality and we will play in the Champions' League next season."
Poyet knows all about the heartache of injury after a big-money move to the Premiership. Twice in successive years since joining Chelsea in the summer of 1997 Poyet has seen his season wrecked by injury.
A knee injury sidelined him for six months of his first season in England, after moving to Stamford Bridge from Zaragoza, but he returned in time to help the Blues clinch the Cup Winners' Cup. Then, on St Stephen's Day at Southampton this season, injury struck again. He was out for almost four months but has still chalked up 13 goals.
Arsenal may be Tottenham's bitter North London rivals but Spurs winger David Ginola will be delighted if he could help the French connection at Highbury to the title.
Tottenham have little left to play for except pride but could still have a massive impact on the title race as they host Chelsea tonight and then travel to Manchester United next Sunday.
Ginola feels that it is difficult to predict whether Arsenal or United will claim the Premiership crown despite having been hugely impressed with the Gunners' performance against his own side in their 3-1 victory at White Hart Lane last Wednesday.
However, it is the presence of fellow Frenchmen Arsene Wenger, Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Vieira and Nicolas Anelka at Highbury which has led him to favour Arsenal for the title.
Whatever Ginola's personal feelings may be, his main motivation this week will be to ensure that Tottenham make a strong finish to a season which has somewhat tailed off since their Worthington Cup triumph.
Despite three consecutive defeats against West Ham, Liverpool and Arsenal, he insists that Spurs will be giving their all against Chelsea and United - for their own sakes rather than for Arsenal.
As for tonight's game, there is also the matter of overturning a disastrous record against the West London side, which has seen Spurs fail to beat them in the League since 1990.
Tottenham will give fitness tests to mid-fielder Allan Nielsen and Les Ferdinand before the match against Chelsea, who triumphed 61 at White Hart Lane last season.
Apart from anything else, Ginola will be aiming to improve his bargaining position as he sits down with the club this summer to seek a new three-year contract on improved wages.
Rumours persist that Spurs will be willing to sell him if the right offer is received but the Frenchman, who has won the player of the year award from both his fellow professionals and the Football Writers' Association, has set his sights on staying put.
"It's very hard to be accepted by English people when you are a foreigner and when you achieve that I think it's something you have to keep as long as you can," he explained.
