Forget pushing their way into the top four, Tottenham Hotspur are currently four points off the Premier League leaders Manchester City and in contention for the title.
The London-based side have not lost a game since the first day of the season against Manchester United in August, with their lastest outing against neighbours Chelsea ending 0-0. Star striker Harry Kane is on form right now, scoring eight domestic goals so far, including a hat-trick against new boys AFC Bournemouth.
Tottenham are always considered the team that always gets close, but never succeeds. With Gareth Bale still in their ranks, the team burst into the Champions League in the 2010-2011 season. But since then, they have not been back among the continent’s elite. However, life under Mauricio Pochettino is going extremely well and their unbeaten run, includes a resounding 4-1 win over leaders Man Ciy and a 5-1 demolition on the south coast against Bournemouth.
Midfielders Mousa Dembele and Christian Eriksen are providing solid service in the middle, though the Dane had a rare-off game against Chelsea – his corner and free-kicking duties were taken over by Toby Alderweireld. However, it is certain that he will be back to his best against Tottenham’s next challenge, West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. Youngsters Delle Alli and Ryan Mason have also performed well this season, both making the England squad, which justifies not only their talent but also Pochettino’s faith in his younger players. Alli did not feature against the reigning champions in the London derby due to a suspension and Mason picked up an ankle injury, which the team will hope does not keep the 24-year-old out for long. The game against their fierce rivals was his first start since returning from another injury against Sunderland in September.
CLUB RECORD: Spurs have gone 13 league games without losing, their longest unbeaten run in Premier League history. pic.twitter.com/yloEahJJXU
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 29, 2015
If Tottenham are to be really considered title challengers they need to keep winning games. The team allowed Chelsea to have only one shot on target, but could not capitalise themselves to gain the win. They are the youngest side currently competing in the league, with the average age being just 24, but the faith shown in the young players has paid-off for the most part.
The beginning of the season started with three draws and a 1-0 win over Sunderland in September. Since then, the side have drawn four and won six times – an almost equal amount. Spurs’ next two games are against West Brom and the struggling Newcastle, which could see the side gain what most people would believe are easy points. The match against Southampton on the 19th of December may provide a bit more of a challenge, but should not be overtly difficult for the Lilywhites. Any wins Tottenham can get under their belt before going into 2016 will push and motivate the team through the middle of the season.
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The next few games are also important because it will tell us whether the Spurs can keep up with the rest of the pack inside the top four. Their fixtures into next January and even February are all considered winnable by the side’s standards, including clashes with Norwich, Watford and Crystal Palace. More challenging subjects consist of Everton, who Tottenham drew 0-0 with in August and a Leicester side who are currently sitting pretty in second place, thanks to the bombshell of the season, Jamie Vardy. The pair have already met this season, where they drew 1-1.
If Tottenham are to be genuinely considered as title contenders, they need to win more games and not settle for draws against teams such as Swansea, Stoke and rather funnily, Chelsea, who had only one shot all game at the weekend.
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