At the time of writing, Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur had lost the second fewest number of games in the entire Premier League (2) behind Leicester City and were placed fourth in those sought-after Champions League qualification places.
Doing a great job with Spurs this season, given the flair and verve Tottenham are playing with, not to mention the fact Chelsea have dropped off massively this term, there is the overriding feeling that 2015/16 is the season Spurs finally get back into the Champions League.
Working with a tight-knit squad, the benefits of doing so are there for all to see with the Tottenham line-up rarely changing by huge proportions each week with players knowing their roles well.
The big criticism of Tottenham so far this season is that they’ve drawn too many games (8) and if these could’ve been turned into wins, the club would’ve been right up there.
Nine points behind Leicester City prior to yesterday’s Boxing Day fixtures, there’s no reaason for optimistic Tottenham fans to think that they’re in the title race yet, let alone the top four battle alone given their new found resilience.
Tottenham bought well in the summer with Toby Alderweireld and Dele Alli proving inspirational signings not to mention Heung-Min Son and Clinton N’Jie showing promise here and there.
But given we’re around the half way point in the season right now, we’re taking this moment to devise a list of Spurs’ five best goals scored so far this campaign.
Do you agree with our choices?
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Click on the image below to reveal the five best Tottenham goals so far this 2015/16 season.
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Ryan Mason vs Sunderland (A)
For the Tottenham supporters that made the long pilgrimage up the A1 to Sunderland back in mid-September, their journey was made worth it by this wonderful late team move finished off expertly by Ryan Mason.
With the game petering out to a dull 0-0 draw, a sublime 13 touch counter unchallenged by a hapless Sunderland resulted side in Mason dinking the most delicate of chips over Costel Pantilimon.
Starting the play from deep, the Spurs academy graduate completed a neat one-two with Erik Lamela just inside Sunderland’s half before steaming through the centre of the Black Cats defence to tuck home an extremely well worked goal after Harry Kane and Lamela helped complete the move.
Mousa Dembele vs Anderlecht (H)
The Europa League group stage isn’t always pretty but Mousa Dembele did his best to change that image with an absolutely devastating strike from range in the home fixture against Anderlecht back at the start of November.
With the game tied 1-1 on the night courtesy of an opening strike by Harry Kane that was levelled up by Imoh Ezekmiel, Dembele’s late winner on the 87th minute not only put Spurs in command of their European group but also set the club up fantastically well for their weekend journey across North London to Arsenal.
With Heung-Min Son running parallel to the Anderlecht box, the ball fell nicely to Dembele who unleashed a fearsome drive with his right foot that Silvio Proto could do nothing about.
Erik Lamela vs Manchester City (H)
Back on Saturday 26th September, Tottenham fans couldn’t have imaged their side would go on to run out eventual 4-1 winners after Kevin De Bruyne put Manchester City 0-1 up in the 25th minute.
But that was the dream outcome for Spurs fans who were adding real gloss to the scoreline by the time Erik Lamela showed extreme composure to tuck away this goal and Spurs’ fourth of the game.
While Eric Dier’s equaliser was placed instinctively to perfection just before the break, it was this goal that Lamela would’ve probably fluffed last season.
With Manchester City all at sea after Spurs’ comeback, Lamela collected a perfectly weighted ball from the left hand side before sending Willy Caballero on a merry dance in the Citizens’ goal.
Rounding two fellow Argentines in Caballero and Martin Demichelis, Lamela tucked away the goal brilliantly to show Tottenham fans his true potential.
Harry Kane vs Arsenal (A)
While Tottenham fans will naturally celebrate ANY goal against Arsenal in totally wild fashion, this particular strike was dispatched in a wonderful first half for Spurs at the home of their most fierce rivals back in November.
On the day, Tottenham should have really made the Gunners pay in an eventual 1-1 scoreline with Mauricio Pochettino’s men playing Arsene Wenger’s side off the park in large spells of the game.
The scoring was opened by who other than Harry Kane but equal compliments must be paid to Christian Eriksen who supplied the England international with an absolutely stunning through ball that caught the entire Arsenal defence napping.
Latching onto this long ball down the left channel, all Kane had to do was lean into the shot on his right foot to deceive Petr Cech and he did this incredibly well to keep up his blossoming scoring record against the Gunners.
Christian Eriksen (2nd) vs Swansea City (A)
Although Tottenham didn’t grab the three points from South Wales back at the start of October, it was Christian Eriksen who scooped the man of the match award after his free-kick brace that twice pegged back Swansea City.
With Garry Monk’s side leading twice through both Andre Ayew and a Harry Kane own goal, Eriksen saved Spurs’ blushes with two excellent free-kicks although it was the second that makes our top five countdown.
While the first was hit in signature Eriksen style, the commentators rightly claimed that Lukasz Fabianski got his feet all wrong but there was absolutely nothing the Pole could do about the Spurs midfielder’s second strike just after the hour mark.
With the free-kick conceded just outside of Swansea City’s penalty area on the right hand side, the Danish international made the Swans pay with his excellent curling effort that was placed right in the postage stamp as the football cliché goes.
