Tottenham’s Schedule Easiest Among Competition

Tottenham’s win over Stoke on Sunday took them back into second place, ten points shy of current Premier League leaders Chelsea.

There are caveats, of course. Both of Tottenham’s primary rivals for second — Arsenal and Manchester City — have games in hand after matches were rescheduled to accommodate the EFL Cup final this weekend.

Should either side win those matches — by no means a guarantee considering they will be against tough Southampton and Manchester United sides, respectively — they would either level or pass Tottenham on current points.

There are matters above them to worry about as well. Ten points still separate Spurs from Chelsea in first. With just 12 matchdays left, Mauricio Pochettino is running out of time to get back in the title hunt.

In all, it looks like a race to the finish that will be contentious, and perhaps decided by thin margins when it comes to the Champions League places.

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If we look at the matches that remain for the top five however, Tottenham are clearly in the best position to sustain or improve their place.

Having already lost to Spurs in January, Chelsea still need to visit Arsenal and Manchester United before the end of the season as well as face City at home. They will also have tricky matches against Southampton and Everton.

Antonio Conte doesn’t look overawed in his first season at charge at Chelsea, so he might just brush these teams aside as he has so many others. The same cannot be said for Tottenham’s wildly inconsistent rivals for second.

With rumors swirling that Arsene Wenger might be on his way out, Arsenal inarguably have the worst run in awaiting them.

The Gunners have a minimum of 15 matches left to play in all competitions — including all five of their principle rivals for a Champions League spot. They will need to not drop points in any of those matches while also hoping for the best against a slew of tricky teams including Everton and West Brom.

Pep Guardiola might look at Arsenal’s schedule with envy however. They, too, have 15 matches left to play, including a second leg against a Monaco side they beat in a wild 5-3 match last week at the Etihad.

That trip to France is only the beginning of a helacious three week schedule for City. Just four days after their return, they take on Liverpool at home. Then, after an international break where most of the team will be traveling to their respective countries, they face Arsenal and Chelsea within three days of each other, both in London. And then City must win the Manchester Derby, whenever that gets rescheduled.

Comparatively, Liverpool get off light — even . Their schedule is the lightest of the pack at 12, with no commitments outside the Premier League. Still, they must face Arsenal this weekend before traveling to City on the 19th. Upon the resumption of play after the international break, they must play Everton in the anything-can-happen Merseyside Derby.

Pochettino will contrast his own schedule with his rivals and, perhaps, take some comfort. With last week’s exit from the Europa League, Tottenham only have 13 matches left to play — barring progression in the FA Cup. With Chelsea, City and Liverpool already played, Tottenham only have Arsenal at White Hart Lane to worry about.

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United also await near the end of the season, which might prove as tricky as any match with the top five. Overall though, this is a far simpler schedule on paper compared to the teams that surround them. Add in a likely strong desire to celebrate their last season at White Hart Lane, and this Tottenham team might just stay in the running to the final day.