{"id":11414,"date":"2016-10-03T08:51:08","date_gmt":"2016-10-03T07:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.colossusbets.com\/?p=11414"},"modified":"2019-04-05T16:59:50","modified_gmt":"2019-04-05T15:59:50","slug":"spurs-dark-horses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colossusbets.com\/blog\/spurs-dark-horses\/","title":{"rendered":"‘DARK HORSES’ TAG SUITS SPURS"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Manchester City arrived at White Hart Lane on Sunday there was a general feeling\u00a0that their game against Tottenham could be Pep Guardiola\u2019s toughest test thus far. And so it\u00a0proved.<\/p>\n

Mauricio Pochettino\u2019s side were full value for their 2-0 victory that should have everyone\u00a0sitting up and taking notice.<\/p>\n

But hang on a minute\u2026haven\u2019t we been here before?<\/p>\n

Did Spurs not take Leicester almost all the way in last season\u2019s Premier League title race\u00a0only<\/a> to fall at the last hurdle?<\/p>\n

Not only were the north Londoners genuine contenders for the top prize but by common\u00a0decree, their football<\/a> was the best in the division, bar none.<\/p>\n

A 4-0 demolition of Stoke City<\/a> at the Britannia Stadium in front of the TV cameras at the\u00a0back end of 2015\/16 only served to highlight just what a vibrant, well-drilled collective the\u00a0Argentinian was moulding together. A result and performance that was repeated a few\u00a0short weeks ago.<\/p>\n

An ultimately disappointing end to last season was quantified by Pochettino\u2019s assertion that\u00a0his team had progressed quicker than he had expected but that more good times would be \u00a0ahead. Everyone politely laughed and nodded in mock agreement.<\/p>\n

Now, as the only unbeaten side in the Premier League<\/a> with just three goals conceded, it\u2019s\u00a0about time Spurs should be taken seriously.<\/p>\n

Still referred to by many commentators and pundits as \u2018dark horses\u2019 for the title, perhaps\u00a0being labelled as perennial underdogs is a tag that suits the Lilywhites best.<\/p>\n

After all, isn\u2019t the pressure really on the likes of Messrs. Klopp, Conte, Mourinho<\/a> and\u00a0Guardiola?<\/p>\n

Pep\u2019s side had two thirds of the possession at White Hart Lane \u2013 obviously \u2013 but had less\u00a0shots on goal<\/a>, forced just one more corner than their opponents and won only two more\u00a0tackles.<\/p>\n

The Citizens may have had double the amount of dribbles (24-12) but not one was effective\u00a0so it\u2019s of little consequence.<\/p>\n

Of course title talk is far too premature at this stage with only seven games played but Spurs\u00a0are going places on a transfer<\/a> budget that is shoestring compared to their nearest rivals.<\/p>\n

In any event, Daniel Levy has finally seen the value in backing a manager\u2019s judgement\u00a0completely and in turn is being rewarded with the sort of football that was seen in the\u00a0halcyon days<\/a> of Hoddle, Ardiles, Villa et al.<\/p>\n

This time a year ago, Spurs were sixth and five points worse off than they are now. Leicester\u00a0were<\/a> only below them on goal difference.<\/p>\n

The trajectories of those two sides now is incredibly marked yet the north Londoners are\u00a0still being touted as the outsiders of the pack.<\/p>\n

Just you watch them go\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Manchester City arrived at White Hart Lane on Sunday there was a general feeling\u00a0that their game against Tottenham could be Pep Guardiola\u2019s toughest test thus far. And so it\u00a0proved. Mauricio Pochettino\u2019s side were full value for their 2-0 victory that should have everyone\u00a0sitting up and taking notice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[643],"tags":[174,76,177,236],"class_list":["post-11414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sport","tag-news","tag-premier-league","tag-ticker","tag-tottenham"],"yoast_head":"\nDARK HORSES' TAG SUITS SPURS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Tottenham were full value for their 2-0 victory that should have everyone sitting up and taking notice. 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