Antonio Conte has admitted that his Chelsea team will find it “difficult” to qualify for the Champions League should they fail to beat Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

But Spurs will be looking nervously over their shoulders during the run-in if the fifth-placed Blues close the gap to just two points and land a big psychological blow.

Here, Telegraph Sport assesses the implications for both clubs if they were to miss out on Champions League qualification.

The managers

Chelsea

Conte is expected to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, wherever Chelsea finish, so the bigger issue is whether failure to qualify for the Champions League would impact on their search for a replacement. The likes of Luis Enrique or Thomas Tuchel are unlikely to be put off the prospect of succeeding the Italian if the Blues finish fifth, but it would probably kill off any slim hope of landing the man who would be their ideal first choice – Mauricio Pochettino. Chelsea know there is very little chance of taking Pochettino away from Spurs, but they will make a check if they pip their London rivals to fourth place.