Tottenham Hotspur: 10 Must-Win Matches for Spurs in 2012-13

A little over a month ago, Tottenham fired manager Harry Redknapp, securing what many (including myself) thought to be the final nail in the coffin for Spurs' 2012-13 season.

But in the greatest English football storyline of this summer, White Hart Lane has been resurrected, starting from the least likely of places—Andre Villas-Boas.

The man who was kicked out of Chelsea has been brought in to redeem himself and all accounts point to his doing so with magnificence.

He convinced Gylfi Sigurdsson not to sign with Liverpool (and former manager Brendan Rodgers), he closed on a long-winded negotiation process with former Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen, while ESPN is reporting that Tottenham and Manchester City have agreed on a deal that will bring Emmanuel Adebayor to Spurs permanently.

It's a summer of resurrection after a winter of despair, and the 2012-13 season could be one of great excitement for many a Spurs fan in north London.

A return to Champions League football is the goal for Villas-Boas and the rest of the Tottenham community as the club gears up for its season opener on August 18th at Newcastle United's Sports Direct Arena.

Can Tottenham earn a spot in the Champions League? How close will they get to a Premier League title? Is the club destined for a shocking mid-table finish?

There's ten games that will answer these questions and more. Which ones are they? Join me and find out.

August 18: Newcastle United vs. Tottenham

As compared to last season, Tottenham is starting this season off relatively easy.

Last year, Spurs began with back-to-back games against Manchester United and Manchester City. They lost 3-0 and 5-1, respectively, earning last place after two games with a -7 goal differential. They found themselves in a hole they never dug themselves out of.

Now, instead of starting the season against a Manchester United club that was within one extra time goal of another title, they're starting against a Newcastle United team they didn't lose to last season and who has remained relatively unchanged.

Tottenham? They're anything but unchanged with a new manager, new center-back, attacking midfielder and (potentially) a new striker before the season starts. A win would set them off on the right foot for a relatively easy opening stretch of contests. A draw or a loss would cut at Tottenham's confidence and provide an unwelcome stumbling block right out of the gate.

This season's opening match against Newcastle United is winnable and it's the only fixture against a team that finished in the top-half of last season's standings in the first five games.

September 29: Manchester United at Tottenham

It might take six weekends, but Tottenham will finally play a top-10 club from last season.

Too bad it's Manchester United.

The Red Devils were the bane of Spurs' Champions League hopes, shutting the door on any sort of comeback for the Lilywhites with a punishing 3-1 defeat last March. It was a match Tottenham should have at least drawn as the first half saw Spurs winning in possessions and shots on goal.

It's not exactly an "early-season" test, but it will be the first time Tottenham fans see their new-look side battle it out against a title contender.

October 20: Tottenham vs. Chelsea

This will be the first time Tottenham (and their fans) get a crack at the Chelsea team that cost them a place in the Champions League and the millions of dollars in revenue that come along with that.

Add in the fact that this is one of several London derbies Spurs will be participating in, and you can be sure it will be a raucous crowd.

November 11: Manchester City vs. Tottenham

It's the middle of November and this is only the second top-five club Tottenham will have faced? Spurs fans are hoping a seemingly easy start will get them a good enough lead to last them through the winter.

Tottenham's first meeting with reigning champions Manchester City is at the Etihad Stadium, and by this point Villas-Boas' side will have had enough chance to work together so that Spurs fans will have a good enough idea of the quality of their side.

Will they contend for next year's Champions League or will they be scratching and clawing for a Europa League spot. This is the first legitimate test for a Spurs side that will need a couple of months to get used to one another—and a new manager.

By November, even us Yanks across the pond will know what kind of quality Tottenham is showing.

December 29: Sunderland vs. Tottenham

A mid-season match against a mid-table Sunderland? How's this important?

By this point in the season, Tottenham will be finishing up a December that sees them play six matches in the month, with four of them away from home.

This match against Sunderland has all the makings of a great team in Spurs letting the weaker team in the Black Cats run away with it.

March 2: Tottenham vs. Arsenal

If Tottenham is sitting in the driver's seat for a spot in the Champions League by this point—which I believe they will be—this is when they'll either gain on that lead or lose it to a club like Arsenal.

Spurs can't let that happen.

Arsenal will be clicking on all cylinders by this point in the season. If Tottenham is the contender many at White Hart Lane think it can be next season, the team needs to get a win—not a draw—out of this home fixture against the Gunners.

March 9: Liverpool vs. Tottenham

Trips to Anfield are always tough, and if Goal.com's report is true that Liverpool is close to signing Clint Dempsey, this could be difficult for a Spurs side that will be nearing the finish line and crossing their fingers players don't get hit with the injury bug.

Factor in that Liverpool has been one of the best sides at home in recent years—they've only lost 13 matches at Anfield since 2004—and you've got a tough away fixture for Spurs, especially considering they will have played Arsenal the week before.

Is Tottenham ready to hang with the big boys? They'll need to suck it in and take care of business during the home stretch.

April 13: Chelsea vs. Tottenham

Andre Villas-Boas returning to a Stamford Bridge club that ran him out of town? That storyline alone makes this one of the most important matches, if just for the club's psyche and morale.

It's the last London derby of the season and Tottenham is facing the same Chelsea team that knocked them out of Champions League qualification last season.

My predictions are that Spurs will be in fourth place by the middle of April and the Blues won't be far behind, perhaps sixth or seventh in the league table by this point. Villas-Boas will be trying to squeeze every bit of juice out of the lemon that is his players.

Can a youthful Tottenham team turn the tables and knock Chelsea off while solidifying their own position in the Champions League?

April 20: Tottenham vs. Manchester City

Just as Tottenham will be looking to solidify their position in the Champions League, by this point Manchester City will be looking to solidify their position as repeat title winners.

Spurs' fixture against the Blues represents the last match at White Hart Lane against a top side—unless you consider Southampton and Sunderland "top" sides.

If both of these clubs are where I think they are and in the top four of the league table, the outcome of this match could say a lot about not just Tottenham's Champions League hopes, but also for Manchester City's title hopes.

Whatever the result, on April 20, Spurs fans will get their last great team passing through White Hart Lane.

April 27: Wigan Athletic vs. Tottenham

This one has "Wigan Athletic is about to be relegated, but instead wins a surprising victory over a Tottenham team looking to secure a Champions League spot" written all over it.

Because of a late-season surge that saw the club win seven of their last nine matches, Wigan survived relegation. However, those seven wins didn't come against fellow bottom-feeders. They beat the likes of Newcastle United, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool.

If Tottenham can travel to the DW Stadium and defeat the Latics, I predict it'll be the three points the club needs to cement a place in next season's Champions League. After all, there will be just three matches left in the season, but April is when the top two or three teams tear away from the pack.

In my opinion, Spurs won't need some late-season heroics, nor will they need to be watching other teams' scores on the last Sunday of the season—and it's because they took care of business against teams like Wigan Athletic.