Tottenham Hotspur drew with rivals Arsenal in one of the most important North London derbies of the last decade on Saturday, a game which was preceded by a Spurs loss to West Ham United midweek.
That means four points have been lost, as has the opportunity to overtake Leicester City at the top of the Premier League table. Against both West Ham and the Gunners, Tottenham started out as the weaker looking side and went behind first. Mauricio Pochettino’s men almost made the perfect comeback in the North London derby, but were foiled by Alexis Sanchez.
Should Leicester and Claudio Ranieri take the title home, Tottenham Hotspur will rue the points lost in these matches, particularly against Arsenal.
Tottenham’s run in to the end of the season will see them travel to Liverpool and Chelsea, with a game at home to Man United in the middle. Although Chelsea and Liverpool have struggled this season, the two teams are always considered big challenges for any club.
In comparison, Leicester seem to have the more difficult final few rounds, but only just, with games against West Ham, Manchester United and ending the season at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
Can Tottenham Hotspur collect the necessary points and win the title? Yes. Can Leicester City also do it? Yes.
This season has been one of the most exciting Premier League campaigns ever with the fairytale of Leicester City. Their monumental turnaround from just beating relegation last year, to becoming potential title holders this year is one of the best stories in Premier League history. But season 2015-16 has also seen Spurs come out of Arsenal’s shadow and giants fall from the summit of the league.
The long-standing top four has been thoroughly shaken up, not only by the likes of Leicester and Tottenham, but by fellow London residents West Ham, who are currently only one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City. The Premier League’s predictability, not only in who wins the league but who competes in Europe and who struggles with potential relegation, has been completely thrown out the window this season.
The Hammers will most definitely feature in Europe, but is the Champions League on the cards? The side is also only three points behind Arsenal in third – that’s how close this year is.
Chelsea’s fall from grace has been another interesting subplot this year, with their poor run of form so bad at one stage that the current champions were flirting with the relegation zone. Jose Mourinho’s very public falling out with Eva Carneiro and his eventual sacking only added to the drama of Chelsea’s season. While they have experienced a revival under interim manager Guus Hiddink, the Blues only sit in 10th place.
All of the events of the season have collectively aided Tottenham Hotspur’s hunt for glory. However, their form and ability has been extremely impressive and that is the major reason why they are in this position.
Mauricio Pochettino has done wonders at the club. His faith in the younger generation of footballers has proven successful. It is also a step in the right direction for Roy Hodgson and the England team, as there are fresh players like Dele Alli, who can revitalise the national side.
Put all of these aspects together, and you come to the conclusion that Tottenham is in a pretty good position to win their first Premier League title.
But the loss of points last week could prove costly. The season is reaching its penultimate stages, and Spurs still have the Europa League to deal with – which involves a trip to Borussia Dortmund on Thursday night in a huge clash. Is the side starting to tire? Will Europe and silly losses such as the one to West Ham be the beginning of the end for Tottenham?
Only time will tell what will happen to the North London team, but if Tottenham Hotspur manage to do it, manage to win the English Premier League title, it will be an incredible story in the league’s history.
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