Tottenham Hotspur is having the kind of season in which lifelong memories are made. They’re one of four teams that you can consider a front-runner for the Premier League title, and if they achieve this lofty goal it’ll be the first for the club since 1961.
Tottenham’s stellar season is getting them acclaim in media power rankings all across the globe. FOX SPORTS has them #8 in Europe. NBC Sports has them #1 in England, and ESPN has White Hart Lane #6 in the entire world.
With this backdrop we take a look at the highs and lows of the 2015-16 campaign with some help from NBC.
NBC Sports did a season synopsis of every Premier League team as we head down the stretch here. It’s pretty spot on, but there are a few things we see differently. NBC also posted this assessment today of Spurs status as title favorites:
At the moment, Tottenham is not the title favorite. The team at the top of the table with 12 matches remaining is the title favorite, and that means Leicester City. When/if Spurs does take over the lead, then they will be the favorites.
This fact, however, is undeniable: Spurs is in the best form of the league and has a title-winning league resume this season. They’ve lost just three times all year, and just twice since an opening-day loss to Manchester United. Since their 1-0 loss to Leicester City in mid-January, they’ve rolled off five straight wins.
I disagree with their assessment regarding the league title favorite. Spurs are not just bonafide league title contenders, they’re the favorites in my opinion. Of course, we’ve all said the same thing about Arsenal, Manchester City and Leicester City and some point this season. These four title contenders also seem to be a lock to finish in the top four and claim a spot in UEFA Champions League. As long as Spurs finish in the top four, a near mathematical certainty at this point, the season is a big victory.
Season highs and lows:
MVPs- Dele Alli, Harry Kane
Best win(s)- either of the two City victories is deserving of this designation. At home they trounced the Citizens 4-1 in late September and to me that announced their arrival. Their last league game, the win at the Etihad also announced Spurs arrival, but on a different level.
Worst loss- I’d go with a 0-1 result, the season opener to Manchester United. Very tough to lose on an own goal, as provided by Kyle Walker. Truly a low point of the season. However, setbacks have been very few and far between this year.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram