This past weekend saw a massive pair of results in the Premier League – Tottenham beating Burnley 0-2 and Crystal Palace upsetting Chelsea by defeating them 1-2 at Stamford Bridge.
The results cut Chelsea’s lead over Spurs at the top of the table to just seven points, and while Chelsea are firmly still in the driving seat when it comes to potentially winning the league, suddenly it isn’t inconceivable that Spurs could catch them.
Here are five reasons why Spurs could close the gap and steal a title victory away from their London rivals.
#1 Harry Kane is coming back
In the past two seasons, Harry Kane has become Tottenham’s key player – scoring 21 league goals in 2014/15 and 25 in 2015/16. This season has been no different, and he’s already scored 19 goals in the EPL in just 22 appearances.
Kane has been on the shelf since picking up an ankle injury against Millwall in March, but thankfully he’s only missed two club games as some of his rehab time took place during the recent international break.
While Tottenham have done well to win both of their games since losing Kane, there’s no denying that the team are far more effective with him and are far more dangerous too. Nobody in the Spurs squad can score goals quite like him.
Recent reports suggest while he’ll miss tomorrow’s game against Swansea and this weekend’s game against Watford, he should be back in time for the next one, against Bournemouth on April 15th.
Kane’s return – earlier than expected – will give the team a huge boost and almost guarantees goals, which should mean a stronger push at overhauling Chelsea’s lead in the league.
#2 Dele Alli is on fire
Dele Alli has been in fine form this season, picking up where he left off after a great showing last season. Recently he’s been in such a rich vein of form that current Swansea boss – and former assistant coach at Real Madrid – Paul Clement has stated that he’d fit in well at the Bernabeu.
In Saturday’s game against Burnley, Alli was absolutely fantastic, and after a flat first half for the side it was largely his contribution that allowed them to finally break the Burnley resistance and pick up the all-important win. Alli’s pass set up the key second goal for Son Heung-Min, in fact.
With some huge games coming up, it’s important for Spurs’ title challenge that Alli keeps up this type of form and there doesn’t seem to be any reason – barring an injury – why he wouldn’t. Statistically, he’s already improved on last season, scoring 14 goals in the league to last season’s 10 and while he hasn’t had quite as many assists, his successful pass percentage has improved.
The fact that he seems to have an almost telepathic relationship with the soon-to-return Harry Kane only helps matters.
#3 Chelsea to play both Manchester clubs
Let’s be honest here, outside of their own fans, nobody really wants Chelsea – a team pumped up on Oligarch cash – to win the league, do they?
That’s why – despite playing relegation candidates Middlesborough and Sunderland in two of their last three games – their run-in will always be a tricky one. Teams simply want to beat Chelsea.
Almost certainly though, their toughest two remaining games come in April. On 5th they face Manchester City at home, and on April 16th it’s Manchester United away. The two Manchester giants have everything to gain by beating Chelsea and right now the Blues can’t afford to lose any more valuable points.
Both Manchester teams are still chasing those all-important Champions League spots – right now United are in fifth, chasing City, who are chasing Liverpool in third – and while it doesn’t look like United will overhaul their neighbours, they do have one x-factor.
Namely one Jose Mourinho, whose previous run at Chelsea ended under a black cloud. You can almost guarantee that he’ll want nothing more than to put a dent in his old club’s title hopes, and a Chelsea loss would certainly do that.
#4 They’re desperate for revenge
Last year Tottenham came so-so close to overhauling eventual champions Leicester to take the Premier League title, but fell away at the last hurdle.
That hurdle? A game against Chelsea. While Spurs had already damaged their title hopes with a drab 1-1 draw against West Brom in the previous game, it was the Chelsea game that truly handed the title to Leicester. Needing to win to keep the dream alive, Spurs shot into a two-goal lead in the first half before essentially losing their heads.
Chelsea often skirt close to the edge of the rulebook and on this night Spurs decided to fight fire with fire. The game descended into madness – nine of Tottenham’s players were booked – and Chelsea eventually equalised, handing the title to Leicester and sending Spurs into freefall in their subsequent two games.
Spurs’ biggest rivals will always be Arsenal, but there’s no denying that revenge over Chelsea – by taking the title ahead of them – would be extra sweet. And you can bet that Mauricio Pochettino is telling his players just that in order to pump them up.
#5 It’s been done before
Seven points with just nine games to go seems like a massive hurdle, but Spurs overhauling Chelsea at the top wouldn’t be unprecedented.
In the 2011/12 season for instance, Man United were eight points ahead of rivals Man City with six games to go. Somehow City managed to peg it back though – largely due to beating United themselves, and their rivals suffering a shock defeat to Wigan and a freakish 4-4 draw with Everton – and of course, Sergio Aguero’s injury-time goal on the final day of the season handed City the title – on goal difference.
Liverpool were in a similar position also in 2013/14 – nine points ahead of Man City with three games remaining, and City were still able to catch them, although they did have the advantage of two games in hand, meaning they still had potentially fifteen points to win.
In that instance, City did indeed collect all fifteen points and that seems to be the key for Spurs – just keep winning and hope Chelsea slip up. With four league wins on the bounce at the minute, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Think Spurs can really catch Chelsea? Or do the Blues have it wrapped up?
