Tottenham’s magnificent seven game winning streak has moved them to within four points of league leaders Chelsea, who lost to Man Utd in their last game. With six games left to play the title race is back on. Chelsea looked to have run away with it, but Spurs have hauled them back thanks to their superb form.
Tottenham will now be full of belief, but they face a really tricky run of games so it will be a huge challenge for them to win all six and have a chance of overtaking the Blues. First Tottenham are away at in-form Crystal Palace, then they have a massive North London derby against Arsenal, followed by a trip to West Ham and then hosting Man Utd, one of only three teams to beat them all season. After that they play another form side in Leicester, before a last day meeting with Hull City, who could be battling to stay up.
It is a bit of a nightmare run of fixtures. But if you check out a review of the EPL soccer odds at BetDSI you will see that Spurs are favourites to win all six. They are odds-on to beat Palace, who have steered clear of the relegation zone and may not be as desperate for points, then they are 21/20 to beat Arsenal, who are in woeful form, and then 5/4 to beat Jose Mourinho’s men, and odds-on to beat West Ham, Leicester and Hull.
They have drawn a lot of times with Arsenal in recent times but they will need all three points. Yet they moved 17 points clear of the Gunners with their win over Bournemouth, and cement their superiority over their fierce rivals by beating them. Man Utd, who conquered Chelsea, will be a tough game, but Spurs have a stronger midfield and can win the battle there and exploit Utd’s weaknesses at the back. They should beat Palace, Leicester and Hull.
The game against the Hammers could be a crucial one. London derbies are always tense, and this one comes with a great deal of animosity between the two sets of fans, so the atmosphere will be a cauldron of hostility inside West Ham’s new 60,000-seater London stadium. West Ham have eased clear of the relegation zone by taking four points from their last two games, and there will be little more than pride at stake for the players in this game.
Tottenham meanwhile will have the motivation of knowing they are gunning for the title, so they should be really fired up. If any defence can keep Andy Carroll quiet it is Tottenham’s. Spurs have the meanest defence in the league, conceding only 22 in 32 games, and Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen will relish the battle against Carroll. They have now also outscored Chelsea this season after banging in 11 goals in their last three games. With Harry Kane back from injury and Dele Alli in superb form they are likely to overwhelm West Ham, Arsenal and all the rest. The key question is whether they can maintain their focus and not crumble under the pressure.
Their title challenge fell apart last season and a last day thrashing from Newcastle left them third, behind Arsenal. Now they are all but guaranteed of finishing ahead of their rivals for the first time in more than two decades, but that is not enough.
They want the title and they have the ability to run Chelsea really close. The Blues are now 1/6 to win it, and Spurs have gone all the way in to 4/1 with some bookmakers. Chelsea have an easier run-in, so Spurs need to be perfect to keep the pressure on.