#5: Tottenham Hotspur, 2015/16
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The awful cliché goes something like this: Tottenham in 2015/16 are the only team in Premier League history to finish third in a two-horse race. It should never have been like that, and with a Messi in their side, it probably wouldn’t have been.
While Leicester eventually won the league by ten points, if it wasn’t for the collapse of Spurs in the last four games, the title may have been headed to North London. But by the time Spurs played West Brom, their players were tired and rusty after a long and hard season. A disappointing 1-1 draw left them needing to beat Chelsea in their next game in order to still have a chance of catching Leicester.
Spurs went 2-0 up but simply broke under the pressure, eventually drawing 2-2 which handed the title to the Foxes. Their last two games were a disaster – losing to Southampton and relegated Newcastle – meaning they finished third.
What Spurs really needed – once Harry Kane’s goals had dried up a little and Dele Alli’s form had slowed down – was an individual like Lionel Messi. Had they been able to call upon such a player, they probably never would’ve drawn with West Brom, let alone surrendered a lead to Chelsea. The pressure may have become too much for Leicester to handle instead, and rather than a fairytale ending for them, it could’ve been a first Premier League win for Spurs instead.
