The final chasers

Several months ago, I started watching a quiz programme which features here in the UK on television called "The Chase". The programme is presented by entertainer, actor and gooner fan Bradley Walsh. Despite his affiliation, I like Bradley Walsh, who about 10 years ago featured in a famous British soap opera - "Coronation Street". The producer of that show arranged things so that Walsh's character was a Tottenham fan, who even had a line about his "beloved Spurs" in one episode. Various other character names, and pieces of graffiti around what is a Manchester location had clear Spurs references!

Why do I mention all this? It is because, despite the immensity of our task as we enter May and the last three games of our season, our beloved Spurs are the final chasers in this season's Premier League title race. Even Bradley Walsh's Arsenal, and Manchester City dropped out of the final chase before Spurs.

Mathematically it is not yet over for Spurs, but we need to win all three of our games, whilst Leicester fail to win; losing at least one and drawing their remaining games. Personally, I don't think Leicester will get that win at Old Trafford, but I do think they will beat Everton at home next week, in their last home game. Chelsea away will be just as tricky for Leicester as it will be for us on Monday night - perhaps less so, bearing in mind the hatred of Spurs borne by Chelsea Football Club and their fans.

I think Leicester will secure the title in front of their own fans on Saturday 7th May, thus preventing the Premier League's nightmare scenario of possible trophy presentation before an away crowd on the last day of the season. I do know that plans were made to deal with such an exigency.

Spurs still have a little work to do to secure top three and guarantee Champions League football next season. One win or two draws will do that, because Arsenal have to play Man City away on Sunday 8th May, which is the day we host Southampton.

As for April, which is after all the month under review here, Spurs played four, won two and drew two. Three of those games saw excellent team performances. The first was a well earned and deserved draw at a resurgent Anfield. Then we witnessed two even better performances. Firstly, at home against Manchester United in which a magical six minute spell in the second-half gave us all three goals.

After that we went to Stoke and simply thrashed "The Potters" 4-0 with two goals apiece by Harry Kane and PFA Young Player of the season Dele Alli. Harry Kane's two goals took his Premier League total for the season to 24, and he is still top scorer at the time of writing. Aguero is one behind, whilst Jamie Vardy is on 22.

Dele Alli blotted his copybook in the West Brom game with a (rather weak) punch to the stomach of Claudio Yacob, which was not spotted by the referee, but which has been punished by the FA with the standard three match suspension. Alli's domestic season is over, and the fact that West Brom left White Hart Lane with a point basically ended our quest for the title. (How I'd love to be wrong about this next month!)

Despite the disappointment of Monday night, the grades given by Spurs Odyssey voters to individual players, the team, and head coach Mauricio Pochettino (he's magic you know) this month have been the best of the season, and arguably the best since the advent of the current style of post-match survey.

All 12 of our first choice players this month (it's 12 because Kevin Wimmer played at Anfield) have got marks of 7 or more this month. I don't believe that has happened before.

Your player of the month this month is Mousa Dembele. Stoke manager Mark Hughes referred to his former Fulham star as "The Doctor", because his players said if you gave him the ball, he made things better. I'm not sure that is Dembele's forte with Spurs and under Pochettino. I think Dembele's skill is his ability to break up opposing play; coming out of challenges with the ball, and enabling his more creative colleagues to provoke the final attack.

Such has been the progress under Pochettino and recognition by the fans of Dembele over the course of this season that our Mousa is now one of our top three players of the season. Top of the pile (and by a margin now) is Toby Alderweireld, followed by Hugo Lloris. Alderweireld, Danny Rose, Alli and Kane were all selected for the PFA Team of the year, which also included four Leicester players.

We have three more games this season. Let's all enjoy them, and enjoy the success the team has had this season, with the promise of greater things to come!

· Review the 2015-16 Premier League season here

Don't forget to check out the players' current figures re. appearances, cards, goals scored and accumulated ratings to date at the bottom of this page.

...if you want to read reports of the matches played during this season, then links are on the Spurs Odyssey Fixtures/Reports page here. By working your way back through the previous month's figures, you can review the performances over the last 16 years!