How Many Points For Tottenham In First Six Games?
By Logan Holmes
How many points will Tottenham earn from their first six Premier League matches of the 2014-15 season. If Spurs reach the group stages of the Europa League, during August and September they will also play three games European games plus a League Cup tie?
Every club looks for a good start to the season. Expectations are high and everyone is hopeful that the season ahead will be their year. Having appointed a new manager, Tottenham will be hoping that Mauricio Pochettino will bring a positive start to his time at White Hart Lane.
Testing Start to 2014-14
In their first 6 Premier League games, the fixture computer has provided Tottenham Hotspur with 3 London derbies (West Ham, Queen’s Park Rangers and Arsenal), 2 games against top-4 teams (Liverpool and Arsenal), a trip to the north-east (Sunderland) and a home match against a team who have denied Spurs at White Hart Lane in the past two seasons (West Bromwich Albion).
West Ham (a): Tottenham’s final away game of last season was at Upton Park where West Ham achieved their third win of the season over Spurs. This season opens with a return trip to West Ham where Spurs will be looking to improve on last season’s dismal performance. A derby against West Ham is always a highly contested game and with it being the first match of the season no quarter will be asked or given. Mauricio Pochettino can expect a testing afternoon for his first competitive match in charge of Tottenham.
Queen’s Park Rangers (h): Another London derby for the first home match of the season against a promoted side who will be out to prove they are no certainties to return to the Championship. Additional spice is added to this game with the return of Harry Redknapp to White Hart Lane for the first time since his dismissal in 2012, along with his newly appointed coach, Glenn Hoddle. Both will want to prove something at Tottenham where they have had time as manager.
Liverpool (h): The match against Liverpool will give Tottenham an early chance to improve on their record against the top-4 teams last season. A draw in this game would see Spurs equal last season’s abysmal return. The 5-goal defeat at White Hart Lane last December brought to an end Andre Villas-Boas tenure as Tottenham manager. Pochettino will hope for a repeat of an early result from last season when his Southampton team won 1 – 0 at Anfield. Such a result would be very acceptable to every Tottenham fan.
Sunderland (a): Following the international break, Tottenham travel to Sunderland where they have won in the past two seasons and are undefeated in the last four games. If Gus Poyet can get his team to perform as they did in the final weeks of last season when they miraculously avoided relegation, Sunderland will provide a much sterner test at the Stadium of Light.
West Bromwich Albion (h): In the last two seasons, West Brom have taken a point at White Hart Lane. Last December, it was Tim Sherwood’s first home match as manager and they equalised within minutes of Christian Eriksen’s strike from a free-kick putting Spurs ahead in the first half. The previous season, it was a late equaliser to deny Spurs in AVB’s first home match in charge. Under a new manager, WBA will, like Spurs, be hoping for a good start to the season.
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Arsenal (a): A third London derby for Spurs and the most important of them all plus a second opportunity to improve against the top-4 teams. Since winning at the Emirates in 2010, Spurs have failed to perform in subsequent visits.
It was the game at Arsenal last September, the 3rd league match of the season, which gave the first indication that Spurs were not going to have as good a season as had been anticipated. It was only a single goal defeat but as in the later FA Cup defeat, Spurs didn’t cause Arsenal any problems.
- In the corresponding games last season, Tottenham took only 7 points* so there is plenty of room for improvement and the opportunity to get the season off to a good start.
* the match with QPR is being compared with last season’s bottom club Cardiff City