Tottenham have strong foundation to become regular challengers
Credit: Daniel Storey via Twitter
Tottenham are the only team in the Premier League that have an opportunity to stop Chelsea from running away with the title this season.
Spurs currently trail Antonio Conte’s men by ten points at the top of the table, with only ten matches remaining in the campaign.
The odds are firmly in the favour of the Blues to close out the term by winning their fifth crown in the past 12 years, but while it remains mathematically possible, Tottenham still have a chance, with social tipping site DeTipsters among those keeping faith in Mauricio Pochettino's men to take the title race until the very end of the season.
Encouragingly for the club, they appear to set to compete at the top of the Premier League for the long term due to the talent of their squad in key positions.
Harry Kane and Dele Alli are two of the most exciting English players to emerge over the last decade and both have been on top form throughout the campaign to drive their side into the top four.
Their partnership up front has combined for 33 goals this term – more than any other duo in the Premier League. The frightening prospect for the rest of the league is that they will only continue to improve with further experience in the top flight as well as the Champions League.
With their forward line set for the future – with Son Heung-Min and Christian Eriksen only in their early 20s – Pochettino and the club’s hierarchy can build depth around their star men.
Kane’s injury problems have exposed them at times this term as Vincent Janssen has struggled in his first season at White Hart Lane, scoring only once from open play.
Credit: Hotspurrelated via Twitter
Fortunately for Spurs, even when Kane has been absent, their defensive resilience has allowed them to win matches even without scoring a glut of goals at the other end of the pitch.
Since Pochettino’s arrival, he has made a point of forming a solid foundation at the back. Toby Alderweireld is arguably the best defender in the world at the moment – with names such as teammate Jan Vertonghen and Juventus duo Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci for company in the discussion.
As a result, Tottenham have formed one of the best defensive units in top-flight football across Europe. They’ve conceded the same amount of goals as Chelsea this term, allowing just 21 strikes, which puts them on course for their best defensive performance since the formation of the Premier League.
The signing of Victor Wanyama has added an extra layer of security in front of the back four, with his physical presence bolstering Tottenham’s power in the middle of the park, making life extremely difficult for opposing teams to break them down.
Only Liverpool have managed to expose Spurs this term due to the express pace of Sadio Mane. Few players boast the speed of the Senegalese, while Danny Rose – who missed the game – would probably have been able to cope with the forward’s pace better than his understudy Ben Davies.
Apart from that defeat, there have been few matches when Tottenham have not been in a position to take at least a point from the game, losing only three times this season.
Therefore, due to their strength at both ends of the pitch, it’s only a matter of time before Pochettino’s men make their breakthrough and successfully lift the Premier League title.
