It is only September and already Spurs have had to pit their wits against some of the cream of the Premier League.
On the opening day of the season, Spurs beat Liverpool 2-1, revelling in their new found prowess they followed this up with a 5-1 Hammering of Hull and victories against West Ham and Birmingham.
As we all now know, an early goal by Jermain Defoe was cancelled out by Manchester United's three last weekend and Spurs' unbeaten run came to a premature end.
Chelsea, meanwhile have beaten all their opponents with no exceptions and have only conceded three goals, including two clean sheets against Fulham and Burnley.
Spurs goal difference is five compared to Chelsea's nine.
The reality of taking on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge is a massive proposition, with Chelsea's 100% start to the season adding extra pressure.
Spurs will have to be on fire to take any points from the Blues but the potential rewards are great. Not only would even a draw mean they have managed something that nobody else has done so far this season, they would also stop the Blues from adding to their cushion at the top.
Both Arsenal and Aston Villa still have a game in hand, as do Manchester City and a couple of defeats on the bounce could see Spurs start to slide.
The League table is somewhat misleading due to the fixtures yet to be played and there is a danger of teams, or fans, getting carried away.
This situation is not unique to Spurs of course, but it does concern us more than other teams due to our current top four status.
That is not to say that Spurs fans shouldn't be enjoying their time at the top, and hoping it lasts because, although the Manchester United match highlighted some weaknesses, it also allowed the media to gloss over the dramatic improvement in the Spurs side this season.
This is a team full of quality players, with a manager who has every intention of beating the best there is in the game he loves. He has bought and re-bought players who share his vision of the future and has assembled a team which can challenge anybody.
Some excellent transfer business - a Croatian International for £2.5 million anyone? Has produced a squad with strength and depth. Oh and it is not unreasonable to suggest that Carlo Cudicini might have some personal business to put to bed against Chelsea. His frustraion against United was plain to see so let's hope he puts in a storming performance against his former employers.
And if it is Spurs who are victorious on Sunday, our chances of a top four finish might take on a different complexion.
First published on www.ComeOnSpurs.com on 17/9/2009
No comments:
Post a Comment