• Spurs captain thrilled after victory at Eastlands
• ‘The supporters have been waiting for this for a long time’

The Tottenham captain Ledley King was thrilled after the 1-0 win at Manchester City secured his side’s place in the Champions League qualifying round.

Peter Crouch sealed fourth place in the Premier League for Spurs with an 82nd-minute header at Eastlands.

“The supporters have been waiting for this for a long time, as the players have,” said King. “We’ve worked hard all season for this and you can see how much it meant today.

“At the moment we’re in fourth place. We still have to qualify for the Champions League. But that’s why I still work hard to get on the pitch, because of moments like this.

“It’s been a topsy-turvy campaign this season, but I think we’ve shown the most consistency.”

Spurs meet Burnley this weekend with a chance to climb above Arsenal. “It’s possible, they have to lose and we still have to beat Burnley,” said King.

Crouch was equally delighted with Tottenham’s success. “I knew we had a fantastic squad and were capable of anything,” said the striker. “But the top four have been the top four for so many years because they’ve been the most consistent.

“For a club like us to break into the top four is a fantastic achievement. It’s probably one of the best nights I’ve been part of.”

Crouch played down his role after scoring the goal which secured the win. “Throughout the course of the season the boys have been fantastic, the whole squad and we managed to get fourth but we still have to qualify,” he added.

“I was in the right place at the right time. The keeper made a good save and I was in the right place just to nod it home. On the balance of play we deserved to win tonight.”

Tottenham HotspurPremier LeagueChampions Leagueguardian.co.uk

A lunchtime kick-off gives Tottenham a chance to put some early distance between themselves and those seeking to dislodge them from fourth place. Certainly Spurs cannot afford another of those slip-ups at home which have hampered their pursuit of Champions League football next season. Having won at Ewood Park in December, when Peter Crouch scored twice, and given Blackburn’s poor away record, Harry Redknapp’s side should get three points today although his attack will need to improve on last weekend’s barren FA Cup performance at Fulham. A point would satisfy Sam Allardyce. David Lacey

Venue White Hart Lane, Saturday 12.45pm

Tickets £33-53 (0844 844 0102)

Last season Tottenham 1 Blackburn 0

Referee H Webb

This season’s matches 20 Y77, R3, 4.00 cards per game

Odds Tottenham 5-11 Blackburn 15-2 Draw 10-3

Tottenham

Subs from Alnwick, J Walker, Gudjohnsen, Kaboul, Pavlyuchenko, K Walker, Rose, Livermore, Dervite, Parrett, Fredericks, Townsend, Kane

Doubtful None

Injured Huddlestone (ankle, 20 Mar), King (thigh, 20 Mar), Bentley (groin, 27 Mar), Jenas (groin, 27 Mar), Lennon (groin, Apr), Woodgate (groin, Aug), Cudicini (pelvis/wrists, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide WWLDDW

Disciplinary record Y48 R1

Leading scorer Defoe 16

Blackburn

Subs from Brown, Roberts, Linganzi, Basturk, Hoilett, Di Santo, Salgado, Jones, Rigters, Gunning, Judge

Doubtful None

Injured Grella (thigh, 21 Mar), Jacobsen (groin, Apr), Nelsen (knee, Apr)

Suspended None

Form guide LWWLDW

Disciplinary record Y46 R2

Leading scorer Dunn 5

Match pointers

• There have been six red cards in the last nine league meetings between these sides

• After scoring two goals in his first 11 appearances, Roman Pavlyuchenko has now scored six goals in his last five games in all competitions

• Only Blackburn (91) have been caught offside more times than Tottenham (84) this season

• Tottenham have won every one of their last 24 matches in which they have been ahead at half-time (10 times) but none of those when they have not

• Blackburn have been involved in more 0-0 draws (five) than any other side in 2009-10

Premier LeagueTottenham HotspurBlackburn Roversguardian.co.uk

• Miss against Bolton in FA Cup was fourth of the season
• Huddlestone follows in footsteps of Defoe and Keane

Gareth Bale says his Tottenham Hotspur team-mates could be ordered to start practising penalties in training after a fourth miss from the spot in yesterday’s draw at 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Tom Huddlestone followed in the footsteps of Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane earlier in the season when he failed to score from the spot. The replay will take place on Wednesday 24 February, with Bolton moving their match with Blackburn to Sunday. That game was scheduled to be the Monday evening game, just 48 hours before the Cup tie.

Bale said: “We don’t practise penalties really and it’s disappointing we missed one but things like that happen. Tom was down to take it before the game and he was unlucky. Will we practise them more now? You never know.”

Defoe said the side were criticised by the Spurs’ manager, Harry Redknapp, at half-time against Bolton. “We should have won it in the end,” Defoe said. “We had a bit of a rollicking at half-time and we deserved it because we didn’t compete in the first half. You know it’s always going to be difficult at Bolton. You have to compete and the rest of the game will then take care of itself, we know we’ll always create chances. First though, you have to compete otherwise a team like Bolton will get on top and that’s what happened in the first half.”

Defoe, after scoring against Bolton to take his tally to 21 this season, added: “There’s still a long way to go and I just want to keep doing what I’m doing, keep getting on the end of chances and try to score as many goals as possible.”

Tottenham HotspurFA Cupguardian.co.uk