There are maybe one or two scenarios that would have been better for Tottenham than what unfolded in the Premier League this weekend.
Tottenham, of course, earned an impressive 1-3 win away at Crystal Palace after trailing 1-0 at halftime. Leicester City gained three points from Stoke City at the same time to take them top of the Premier League once again, though still only five points ahead of Tottenham.
The most relevant results happened just above and below Tottenham in the table. Manchester United lost to Southampton 1-0, stalling their attempt to narrow the margin between themselves and Spurs in fourth. Five points is only five points, but at least it’s a bit of breathing room.
The race for the top four – and perhaps the title – narrowed most for Tottenham in games that came later on Saturday and on Sunday afternoon.
Manchester City managed only to draw against West Ham, and came close to losing outright were it not for a Sergio Agüero goal against the run of play in the 81st minute. That result meant Tottenham surged to within two points of City.
The Top Flight
Sunday’s match between Chelsea and Arsenal was arguably the biggest of the weekend, and it didn’t lack for drama. Per Mertesacker was sent off for a professional foul on Diego Costa in the 17th minute and the Spanish striker further punished the Gunners with the only goal of the game five minutes later.
The result was yet another set back for Arsenal’s title aspirations. Though they have looked the team best equipped to capitalize on a decidedly off year for the Premier League all season, slip ups like this match – along with the 4-0 loss to Southampton in December and the 2-1 to West Brom the month prior – make it hard for them to create any kind of separation.
Indeed, they drop to third on goal difference after this result, also only two points above Tottenham.
We’ve seen this kind of reshuffling of the deck in the top four over the last month or so, but somehow this weekend felt different.
Consider each of the top four team’s upcoming three matches.
Leicester welcome Liverpool to the King Power Stadium before making trips to both Manchester City and Arsenal.
Manchester City visit Sunderland but then host both Leicester City and Tottenham back to back. They’re also saddled with Capital One Cup and FA Cup matches against Everton and Aston Villa prior to that run of Premier League games.
Arsenal first face a home fixture against an improved Southampton squad that has scored six goals in the last three matches without conceding once. They then travel to Bournemouth before coming back home for a match against Leicester.
Which brings us to Tottenham. Of all the teams competing in the top four, Tottenham might have the easiest time of it. They face Norwich away, then Watford at home before journeying to Manchester City on Valentine’s Day. Which anything is possible, it’s worth nothing that the former two teams have lost four of their last five Premier League games. And, of course, Tottenham beat City 4-1 in the reverse fixture last September.
Next: Conversation Corner: Tottenham Soar Past Crystal Palace
Does this mean that Tottenham will be top of the league come mid-February? No. What it does mean is that this run of good form could continue, and there’s a decent chance that points are dropped elsewhere in the top four, thus narrowing the gap for Tottenham even further.
When only two points separate you from second and five points separate you from top of the league, runs of games like this can become turning points. Whether Tottenham are up for taking advantage of their run remains to be seen.