Pair of Red Cards Work in Spurs’ Favor

Spurs’ need any edge they can in the dwindling days of the Premier League season, and two rivals provided just that this weekend.

With five games left to play, Spurs trail league leaders Leicester City by a mere seven points. However narrow that gap might look, historically speaking it would take an epic collapse on the Foxes’ part in order for Spurs to claim their first top division title in over fifty years.

Unprecedented doesn’t mean impossible, though. With just the right amount of things going wrong for Leicester – and right for Spurs – we could be in for a genuinely thrilling few weeks.

So, at the risk of disappointment, let’s lay out two ways in which Spurs’ hopes were bolstered in the two days worth of matches that precede their trip to Stoke City on Monday.

Manchester City’s title bid started strong but seemed to slip away from them somewhere around the season’s midpoint. Chelsea experienced a similarly unexpected decline despite winning it all last season, though to a much higher magnitude. Thus, Saturday’s match between the two sides was markedly less exciting than it might usually be.

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City won 3-0 thanks to a hat-trick from Sergio Agüero. The capping goal of that effort was scored from the penalty spot after Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois fouled Fernandinho in the 78th minute and thus earned a red card for his troubles.

This being the second red card of the Belgian’s season, he will miss out on Spurs’ visit to Stamford Bridge in two weeks time. Even if Chelsea haven’t been the opponent they were in recent years, they might have the extra incentive to turn in a good performance if only to dent Spurs’ title hopes. Being down their first choice keeper won’t help them achieve that goal.

Now, of course, Spurs didn’t play against Courtois in the reverse fixture back in November either. He was still recovering from injury, and thus Spurs were up against Asmir Begovic. That match ended 0-0. Still, it’s some small improvement over the state of things prior to the Chelsea-City match Saturday.

The bigger development this week is one that won’t directly impact Spurs at all. Leicester City hit their first stumble after five consecutive wins when West Ham drew 2-2 with them on Sunday. Though he scored the opening goal of the match, Jamie Vardy was sent off in the second half after earning a second yellow card for simulation in West Ham’s box. Slaven Bilić’ side went on to level and take the lead before a Leicester penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time led to the two sides earning a point each.

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Mauricio Pochettino and company will take some slim hope over this match. With a win over Stoke on Monday, the gap between Spurs and Leicester would be narrowed to five points. Moreover, the Foxes’ top scorer – and the man who scored two goals and assisted two others in the aforementioned recent winning streak – will be suspended for next weekend’s match against Swansea City.

Is this cause for celebration? No. There’s still much more football to be played. If Spurs have some hope of staying in the title race though, such slip ups from other teams are going to be crucial.