LONDON. – Little things tell you a lot in football. Tottenham Hotspur are in a title race, four points behind Chelsea in the English Premier League with six games to go.

There is also an FA Cup semi-final against the same team on the horizon.

Their latest victory, a 4-0 rout of Bournemouth, made it seven consecutive wins in the league, a run of results that have been characterised by the team’s relentless power, fine defence and clinical finishing.

Yet it is the little things that let you know that this is a side that thinks they can win the Double.

They celebrate goals with elaborate, rather juvenile handshakes.

They linger in group hugs after surrounding a goalscorer. They smile a lot. Mauricio Pochettino bounces around on the sidelines as if he was a born-and-bred north Londoner, feeling the agony of every near miss and exploding with pleasure when his boys come out on top.

They look like a gang of kids playing the game for fun.

They are having a great time.

Football is a joy for Tottenham.

Something special has been happening at White Hart Lane since Pochettino arrived three years ago.

A dynasty has been developing.

The next month should underline this.

Morale is high in the squad.

Players are not fixated on their own performance but are willing to subvert their own game for the team if necessary.

Jose Mourinho used to talk about creating a “Band of Brothers” ethos. Spurs have it.

Vincent Janssen could have become a sullen and lonely figure after struggling to score goals since arriving at the club last summer.

Yet when the former Ajax striker scored his first Premier League goal against Bournemouth, the pleasure his teammates took from the moment was palpable.

Janssen is no outsider.

Tottenham’s resilience will be tested in the coming days. Chelsea were out-thought and outplayed by Manchester United in their 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford.

Antonio Conte will ensure that there will be no repeat of that display at Wembley in the semifinal or in any of the remaining league matches.

A year ago, Spurs were chasing down Leicester City at the top of the Premier League and imploded. They crumbled under the intense pressure of a title race and their immaturity was exposed by Eden Hazard and Co. on a fractious night at Stamford Bridge.

Conte’s team will unearth any weaknesses that lurk in Tottenham’s psyche. Pochettino’s men are more battle hardened now but questions will remain until they win big games.

Spurs need to prove that they can cope with playing at Wembley. Their record at the stadium has been awful in the Champions League and Europa League.

Next season it will be their base while White Hart Lane is rebuilt. It has been no home away from home. Their European adventures at Wembley verged on shambolic.

The were comprehensively beaten by Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen, drew against a substandard Gent and only beat CSKA Moscow in a meaningless tie after they had been knocked out of the Champions League.

At the moment it looks like Pochettino’s bogey ground.  The contrast with their performances at the Lane are stark.

They have scored the most goals (43) and conceded the fewest (eight) at home of any Premier League team. A win against Chelsea in the semifinal would provide significant reassurance.

Tottenham go into the cup tie in a buoyant mood.

There is much to be confident about. Their best players are signed to long-term contracts and are unlikely to have their heads turned in the summer when some of Europe’s biggest clubs will be sniffing around north London.

By qualifying for the Champions League for the second time in succession they will ensure that the immediate future of the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli is secure.

They have moved on from the days where a brief, one-year appearance in Europe’s most prestigious competition did little more than put Gareth Bale in the shop window.

Spurs are no longer a selling club. They are being seen as a team that can go deep into the knock-out phase of the Champions League next season. They are on the verge of joining the continent’s elite.

The title is probably just out of Tottenham’s reach. Winning a trophy would be a major staging post in their development. If they can hold their nerve and thrive under pressure at Wembley it would be a big sign that the fun will continue for Spurs for a long time. – ESPN.

You Might Also Like

Comments

Take our Survey

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey