Premier League Schedule 2012-13: 6 Biggest Games for Tottenham

After one of the most disappointing ends to a season imaginable, Tottenham are at risk of going into a bit of disarray.

No Champions League football and no current manager creates the potential for an awful summer transfer window, as top prospects will not want to come and current stars may want to leave.

With a drop in the quality of the club possibly looming, it's a scary time for Spurs supporters.

For a moment, though, let's close our eyes to the exodus that might soon be coming Tottenham's way and look to the season ahead.

Today, the 2012-13 Premier League fixture list was released, an exciting time for all clubs as they look forward with hope at the promise of the season to come.

Assuming the squad is kept relatively intact and the manager situation is sorted in a timely fashion, Spurs will be looking for another top four finish in the Premier League and, perhaps this time, the Champions League berth that comes with it.

Taking this goal into consideration, here are the six biggest matches on the horizon for Tottenham in this upcoming Premier League season.

Newcastle vs. Tottenham: August 18, 2012

The first match of the season pits last season's fourth place and fifth place finishers with Tottenham traveling to Newcastle.

The first few matches of the season are always hugely important in a campaign and should be especially big for Tottenham this season.

Last season, Spurs were outscored 8-1 in their two August matches thanks in large part to distractions off the pitch.  Those results loomed large across the whole season, creating a hole it was difficult to climb out of.

A result at St. James' Park would avoid a similar hole and get the season off to a bright start.

A loss, on the other hand, would be a treacherous beginning to the season.

Tottenham vs. Chelsea: October 20, 2012

This match is directly surrounded by relatively weak fixtures for Tottenham, but four weeks either way finds matches at Old Trafford, the Etihad, and the Emirates.

This should be a huge momentum match for Spurs as results at either Old Trafford or the Etihad will be very tough to come by.

A loss in the middle at White Hart Lane could be a killer for their season.

A win against the reigning European champions could be huge.

Arsenal vs. Tottenham: November 17, 2012

Not only is this a North London Derby but it may also be one of the most important matches of the season for Tottenham.

Probable losses to Manchester United and Manchester City at their stadiums could put Tottenham in a hole in the race for a top four finish; a loss to Arsenal could make the gap too big to overcome.

Any result at the Emirates would be accepted and could be, depending on how their season has panned out thus far, necessary.

If for nothing else, though, the result would be nice because it's Arsenal.

Tottenham vs. Manchester United: January 19, 2013

Last season, Manchester United scored three goals in each of their wins over Tottenham.

The matches surrounding this match are mostly relatively easy fixtures, though, so Spurs will be able to gear up for this match.

A result could make this an incredible run for Tottenham, giving them a better chance at a return to the top four.

Then again, if United do indeed poach Modric and/or Bale, a result could be out of reach.

Tottenham vs. Arsenal: March 2, 2013

Unsurprisingly, another North London Derby makes this list as one of Tottenham's biggest matches.

This past season, a derby at a similar time of the year sent Spurs into a downward spiral that saw their title hopes turn into the loss of Champions League football.

A similar defeat could be as lethal to their hopes this season.

A win, on the other hand, could set them up nicely for their run-in.

Tottenham vs. Manchester City: April 20, 2013

Last season, Manchester City defeated Tottenham in both Premier League meetings, but the two clubs' match-ups had been much closer the few season prior to that.

This match comes a week after Spurs take a trip to Stamford Bridge and is the last fixture they have against a club who finished in the top half last season.

Hopefully a result won't be necessary going into this match, but with their rivals ever improving, there is a good chance it will.

A result against the reigning champions would probably be huge.

Because there are only four matches after it to recover, though, a loss could be deadly.

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