A couple of weeks ago we were all backing Spurs to win the Premier League it seems, particularly the north London locals propping up the bar in the Transfer Tavern.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side had just comfortably beaten Manchester City after outclassing Pep Guardiola’s side technically and physically and were looking unstoppable.
The win took them to second in the table, just a point behind City and yet to lose a game.
While they have still yet to be beaten, Spurs have slipped down the fifth after two draws in a row.
Those from Hotspur Way failed to beat West Bromwich Albion and Bournemouth when a win in either game would have put them top.
A number of punters in the Tavern claim Spurs will never win the title after missing out last season.
Pochettino’s side were one of the most consistent sides last year but fell away at the end as Leicester won the title and ended up third behind rivals Arsenal.
While we wouldn’t say never, we don’t think Spurs’ first Premier League title will come this season.
Here are FIVE reasons why.
EUROPEAN FOOTBALL
The first reason Spurs will struggle simply comes from the volume of games they are playing.
As a result of last year’s third-placed finish, the Lilywhites qualified automatically for the Champions League.
That means more games than some of their rivals, meaning some players will be more tired and need rotating.
Spurs have had to deal with the Europa League but tended to field a weakened side – something they will not to on Europe’s biggest stage.
Arsenal and Manchester City are used to the congestion now, while Liverpool and Chelsea are free from Europe this season, meaning if any side will struggle it will be Spurs.
TOO MUCH TRAVELLING
On top of having to play more games, Champions League football also entails more travelling.
By the time Spurs have finished the group stages they will have clocked around 3,000 miles travelling to Monaco, Leverkusen and Moscow, with that figure only increasing should they advance.
As well as that, the entire of their first team are full internationals, meaning they are often away for friendlies or qualifiers.
The in-form Son Heung-Min had to go to South Korea for example and was therefore too tried to start against West Brom, which arguably cost them the game.
INJURIES TO KEY PLAYERS
A big injury crisis would derail any club’s season, but you get the feeling Spurs would suffer more than most should one of their key players get injured.
They lost last year’s top scorer, Harry Kane, to an ankle ligament injury recently and – while they initially seemed to be coping – they have started dropping points since.
Their defence also looks slightly less assured than Toby Alderweireld, while their midfield wasn’t as impressive when Mousa Dembele was suspended.
FAILING TO BEAT THE LITTLE TEAMS
Pochettino seems to have the measure of the bigger sides and Spurs rarely get beaten by the teams around them.
This season they are unbeaten despite already facing Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton.
The problem they have is that they often fail to beat the smaller teams they should be.
Bournemouth and West Brom were very winnable games, and games that Spurs certainly should be expecting three points from if they harbour any hopes of challenging for the league.
MISSING A WINNING MENTALITY
While it is a long running joke that Spurs are “bottlers” (particularly among their north London rivals), there does seem to be a problem with their mentality at times.
Last season they slipped away at the end despite arguably playing the best football of any side, culminating in a humiliating 5-1 loss to Newcastle United.
The last two weeks have seen Spurs spurn a real opportunity to take the lead in the title race as City and Arsenal with dropped points, but Spurs failed to capitalise. This needs to change if they want to earn that elusive title win.
