Week 36 of the Premier League ends with Spurs moving five points ahead of Chelsea with three games remaining after a scrappy win over Watford at Wembley.
With Manchester City winning the league, Manchester United chasing the FA Cup, and Liverpool punching above their weight in the Champions League, have Spurs become a crappier version of Arsenal?
I use the word ‘crappier’ only because under Arsene Wenger’s reign; even when he lost the ability to win the league, he still won more FA Cups than anyone alive. Wenger left because the fans no longer loved him. The fans wanted titles, and the Arsenal hierarchy shot for Champions League qualification.
Spurs has won nothing under Mauricio Pochettino, but after their victory over Watford, they are fast becoming a Champions League ever-present. Chelsea turned the thumbscrew on the weekend with a one-nil win over Swansea. Spurs reacted by beating the Hornets in a scrappy affair at Wembley.
“It’s a game we had to win,” said Pochettino.
Win they did.
The England manager was in the stands casting a beady eye over Harry Kane and Dele Alli, and they both created a glint.
Alli opened the scoring in the 16th minute after a mistake from the Watford keeper allowed Christian Eriksen to thread the ball through for Alli to finish from 12-yards. It was Alli’s 14th goal of the season and his fifth in seven games finding form at just the right time. Eriksen’s foot in the goal was his ninth in eight games (five goals, four assists).
Harry Kane settled the tie in the 48th minute with another calm finish. The goal was Kane’s 27th of this campaign (38 in all competitions), and he needs to close the four-goal gap between him and Mohamed Salah if he is to win the Golden Boot for the third successive season. Golden Boot or no Golden Boot its been another shit-hot season for the England frontman. Kane has now scored 105 Premier League goals in 150 appearances, and only the great Alan Shearer scored more.
The win moves Spurs five points clear of Chelsea with three games remaining. The bookies think the race is over making Pochettino’s side 1/100 favourites to make the Champions League. You can get 10/1 on Chelsea catching them, leaving the former champions with nothing but the FA Cup to play for.
Watford is now winless in seven games and only lie six points above the relegation zone. They need two points to be mathematically safe, but you have to question the decision to fire Marco Silva earlier in the season. The people running this football club have been lobotomised. Since Javier Gracia’s appointment, Watford have played 13 games, winning three, drawing three and losing seven.
Bye-bye, Gracia.
Top 4 Odds
Spurs 1/100
Chelsea 10/1
Results in Full
Crystal Palace 5 v 0 Leicester
Huddersfield 0 v 2 Everton
Burnley 0 v 0 Brighton
Swansea 0 v 1 Chelsea
West Ham 1 v 4 Man City
Man Utd 2 v 1 Arsenal
Liverpool 0 v 0 Stoke
Newcastle 0 v 1 West Brom
Southampton 2 v 1 Bournemouth
Spurs 2 v 0 Watford
Premier League Table
1. Man City – 93
2. Man Utd – 77
3. Liverpool – 72
4. Spurs – 71
5. Chelsea – 66
6. Arsenal – 57
7. Burnley – 54
8. Everton – 48
9. Leicester – 44
10. Newcastle – 41
11. Crystal Palace – 38
12. Bournemouth – 38
13. Watford – 38
14. Brighton – 37
15. West Ham – 35
16. Huddersfield – 35
17. Swansea – 33
18. Southampton – 32
19. Stoke – 30
20. West Brom – 28
