Tottenham Have No Margin for Error with Six Games Left

Tottenham can’t win six consecutive games, but they can still manage a top-three finish by the end of the year.

It goes without saying that anything but a win from here on out for Tottenham (regardless of what Leicester City do) will mean the end of Spurs’ title hopes.

Sure, the Foxes can only lose two games out of their remaining six fixtures. But that’s the problem, Claudio Ranieri’s side have to lose two games. If they end up drawing two games but winning the rest, or any other combination that doesn’t involve losing (hypothetically of course), then Leicester will still win the Premier League title as early as this weekend depending on Tottenham’s game against Manchester United.

There’s a slight hope that Leicester will still crumble under pressure and winning many close 1-0 games starts going the other way. But so far that hasn’t been the case. So therefore it obviously falls back on Tottenham and them getting the job done with six games remaining.

However, for as good as Tottenham have been this season, there’s something that needs to be pointed out and that’s the form Spurs have been in recently.

During the entire month of March, in all competitions, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have picked up just two wins — Aston Villa and Bournemouth — while going on to lose to West Ham United and Borussia Dortmund twice and drawing against Arsenal.

April started with a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield. So now, if the pressure hasn’t escalated to a win-now mentality like it should, then really, Tottenham are doomed from securing a top-flight division title for another year if the result against Manchester United isn’t a win.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – APRIL 02: Dele Alli (2nd L) and Tottenham Hotspur players show their dejection after Liverpool’s first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on April 2, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /

Despite all the doom and gloom lately when you factor in the month of March and how April has begun, a draw was fine after trailing the Reds (for a few minutes) against a tough Jürgen Klopp team. But generally speaking, Tottenham faced plenty of pressure from Liverpool for a majority of the game and taking a point with them should hopefully help push Spurs from here on out.

Then again, Leicester not only have a seven point advantage over Spurs but they also will start the next five games before Tottenham play theirs. That in of itself is a problem, meaning there is no margin for error anymore.

That kind of pressure should either make Pochettino and co. pick their games up in order to secure the desired results of wins and three points. Or, fall off and succumb to fatigue like what was apparent last year around this same time: from March through May.

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Ahead of Tottenham is a Man United team who are at a crossroads. Louis van Gaal who has done some good things since being appointed manager has also had some hard times.

A win for them puts the Red Devils within two points of Arsenal and fourth place while leaping over Manchester City. A loss could see them fall behind West Ham if the Hammers pick up a victory.

Last season, when Tottenham hosted Manchester United at White Hart Lane, it was a 0-0 draw. At the time, it was good result considering that Pochettino was in his first year as Spurs’ manager and the Red Devils were a top-four club at the time.

Then came the second meeting at Old Trafford and a 3-0 loss.

That game helped accelerate a sharp decline which Tottenham suffered and ended up finishing in fifth place and just six points shy of a Champions League spot a year ago.

While Spurs have to focus on themselves and not worry about what other clubs are doing, that doesn’t mean that they can’t look over their shoulders with Manchester United clinging onto a potential top-four finish once again, Arsenal not too far off from Tottenham and Manchester City still in the thick of things.

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So once again, simply put, a win and Tottenham are still in a slim Premier League title hunt with Leicester City. A draw and/or loss, and the only thing Mauricio Pochettino and his squad can focus on is making sure they remain in the top three.

Finishing above Arsenal would also be the cherry on top of a fantastic season. But for now, the focus needs to be Spurs’ next opponent and that’s Manchester United.

And winning that game at all costs.

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