Half-season report
We can hardly call it half-term, because that suggests that a break is being taken, which is certainly not the case in this hectic New Year schedule. Most of the Premier League has already played match 20, but Spurs have to wait until tomorrow night's crunch clash with league leaders Chelsea to start the second half of their season.
It is time to reflect upon the league situation halfway through the season after matchday 19. The top 6 sides have emerged from the pack as a cut above the rest, and will all be challenging for a top four place, if not necessarily the title.
This time last year Arsenal and Leicester were joint top of the table with 39 points, which is the number Spurs have obtained this year. In the second half of the season we have to play 9 away games, and only two of those will be against top half sides (Liverpool and Manchester City). We have to play the bottom four sides away.
It is interesting to note that Chelsea are 29 points and 13 places better off than this time last season, whilst Leicester are 19 points and 14 places worse off. Leicester's defence of their title has turned out to be as bad as was that of Mourinho's Chelsea!
All this season's top six have improved their 19-game points totals of last season as follows:-
Chelsea 29 points
Liverpool 13 points
Man Utd 6 points
Tottenham 4 points
Man City 3 points
Arsenal 1 point
As mentioned in the Watford match report, you have to go back to October in the Double Season to find the last occasion Spurs scored 4 goals in consecutive away games, but is worthy of note that we have now scored 4 goals away in three games so far this season (Stoke, Southampton and Watford). Last season we managed 5 at Bournemouth and 4 again at Stoke.
Harry Kane won your man of the match vote against Watford, and he has now reached 10 Premier League goals, which is only one less than he had after 19 games last season. Harry has also now scored 59 goals in his first 100 Premier League appearances (3 appearances on loan with Norwich in 2012) matching the record of Thierry Henry. The excellent stats just keep going on for "one of our own".
Dele Alli came a very close second, with Kieran Trippier an excellent third.
· See the spursometer in full.
Premier League results 30.12.16 - 01.01.17
Hull 2-2 Everton
Burnley 4-1 S'derland
Chelsea 4-2 Stoke
Leicester 1-0 West Ham
Man Utd 2-1 M'brough
S'hampton 1-2 West Brom
Swansea 0-3 B'mouth
Liverpool 1-0 Man City
Watford 1-4 Spurs
Arsenal 2-0 C. Palace
Premier League Table
P W D L F-A GD Pts
1. Chelsea 19 16 1 2 42-13 29 49
2. Liverpool 19 13 4 2 46-21 25 43
3. Arsenal 19 12 4 3 41-19 22 40
4. Spurs 19 11 6 2 37-14 23 39
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5. Man City 19 12 3 4 39-21 18 39
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6. Man Utd 19 10 6 3 29-19 10 36
7. Everton 19 7 6 6 25-23 2 27
8. West Brom 19 7 5 7 25-23 2 26
9. S'hampton 19 6 6 7 19-22 -3 24
10. B'mouth 19 7 3 9 26-31 -5 24
11. Burnley 19 7 2 10 21-29 -8 23
12. West Ham 19 6 4 9 23-33 -10 22
13. Watford 19 6 4 9 23-34 -11 22
14. Stoke 19 5 6 8 22-32 -10 21
15. Leicester 19 5 5 9 24-31 -7 20
16. M'brough 19 4 6 9 17-22 -5 18
17. C. Palace 19 4 4 11 29-35 -6 16
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18. S'derland 19 4 2 13 17-35 -18 14
19. Hull 19 3 4 12 16-41 -25 13
20. Swansea 19 3 3 13 21-44 -23 12
