3 REASONS WHY SPURS COULD WIN THE TITLE THIS SEASON
For two consecutive seasons, Tottenham Hotspur have been on the brink of winning the Premier League title. Both times, the North London club managed to chase the eventual title winners to the very end, only to finish each season with no honours.
In an exclusive interview with ESPN, Jan Vertonghen claimed Tottenham would have to ‘level up’ in order to win the Premier League title this season. The team have been consistent in terms of their performance levels but will need to find another gear to take things one step further.
Tottenham finished second last season, which is their highest ever finish in the Premier League era. They also broke records winning 11 of their last 12 matches. This showed the skills, consistency and desire of the players to get to the top. For the 2017/2018 season, Spurs are now at 8/1 to win the league with SunBets and other bookies have them priced similarly. Along with the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea, Spurs are again among the favourites to come out on top this season.
Almost every Premier League club has made additions to strengthen their squads for next season. However Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is the only PL manager yet to sign a player in the summer transfer window. What’s more they sold Kyle Walker to Manchester City for £50 million so currently face the prospect of starting the new season weaker than they were for the last.
One of the side’s defensive lynchpins, Vertonghen insists that all the players will have to show unwavering dedication if they are to win the Premier League title next season. As the club are set to play all of their home matches at Wembley whilst White Hart Lane is rebuilt, they’ll be hoping to make history in a temporary home.
Here are the three reasons why Tottenham Hotspur could win the title this season:
Kane-Alli combination
Harry Kane has been defying odds ever since the English press started calling him a one season wonder. It was a ‘whirlwind week’ according to the Spurs striker when he celebrated the birth of his first child with a beautiful hat trick. Harry Kane has truly been the driving force behind Spurs for the past two seasons.
However, this does not mean that the Spurs are a one-man team. Dele Alli is also known for his extraordinary performances.
The Kane-Alli duo is now known as one of the most lethal combinations in the Premier League. Both players are at the top of their games and have been putting in incredible performances. Pochettino told Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, “You can see they are getting so close together now and every time Alli gets the ball Kane is on the move. It’s telepathic. Alli knows what he’s going to do and that little one-two for the goal was a joy to watch. Tottenham fans must love it.”
Dominating central midfield
We all know how the team has been thriving under Pochettino’s 3-4-3 system. This has given more freedom to the attacking players in the team as they can converge towards the goal. All of this is possible because Spurs have a dominating central midfield built around strong discipline and ball playing skills. Victor Wanyama had an exceptional season ably supported by Moussa Dembele as they successfully managed to protect the three men at the back.
According to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, “Dembele and Wanyama are there to protect the ‘what if’ situation if Spurs lose the ball.They are there to offer protection in front of the back three and you’re still safe and sound if you ever lose the ball. That liberty [the attacking players] have within the plan and structure means they can open up a team – and they did that against West Brom.”
Solid defensive line
With solid centre halves and pacy but disciplined full backs Spurs have one of the most dependable back lines in the Premier League. They say that attack is the best form of defence but Premier League winners rarely come with leaky defences so this position of strength is one Spurs will look to build upon if they are serious about taking the title from Chelsea this year.
