Tottenham all but out of title race

The math might still be possible, but with Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat to West Ham on Friday evening it is all but assured that Chelsea will claim the Premier League title.

All the current leaders must do is beat West Brom and Middlesbrough over the next week to secure an unassailable lead above Tottenham.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. West Ham were struggling, they were a side who could only claim one win in the previous two months.

Tottenham, in contrast, were on the march. What appeared an unlikely title challenge in January — Chelsea’s 13 match winning streak appeared to ensure them the honors by season’s end — was by Friday night a matter of four measly points.

All Tottenham needed was a win over West Ham, thus reducing their gap to a single point before Chelsea played on Monday. They needed for the leaders to hear their footsteps coming up behind, to get caught looking over their shoulder and trip over themselves.

That scenario now seems unlikely. Buoyed by no effort of their own, Chelsea should win the requisite points to ensure that Tottenham are once again denied glory within sight of the finish line.

Cynics will say they expected this. In broad terms, this is just what happened to Tottenham last season. Leicester City still appeared within reach by May. Jamie Vardy was suspended, Spurs had just violently dispatched Manchester United and Stoke City. The scales were visibly tipping.

They needed to win out though, and they needed Leicester to slip. Stars would need aligning.

The weight of expectation and a grueling season with only occasional rotation caught up to Spurs though. A draw against West Brom stretched their chances, and a visit to Stamford Bridge that ended 2-2 snapped them. Still able to finish second, above Arsenal for the first time in over 20 years, Spurs collapsed, losing both of their final two games and finishing third.

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A place above Arsenal is assured this season after their win over their rivals last week at White Hart Lane. Mauricio Pochettino wasn’t content with that hollow honor though, and insisted his ambition remained the title.

It’s harder to figure what went wrong here. Spurs are a young side, yes, but it’s no excuse to say that the pressure got to them. A good chunk of this team played — and lost — in the League Cup final against Chelsea two years ago. Even more suffered through the agony of last season’s end. This is a team well versed in  in the pain of pressure at this point, and in theory should be numb to its effects.

Fitness should not factor either. Though Pochettino might have preferred to name them every week, injury kept luminaries like Harry Kane, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen out for sizable chunks of the season. They were well-rested for this run in, at least compared to last season.

Nor was it a matter of skill. There isn’t a single player named in Pochettino’s starting XI who did not improve this season. Dele Alli, far from a one-season-wonder, is a legitimate sensation. Christian Eriksen is the field general he’s long been groomed to be. Eric Dier is a human swiss army knife.

What’s left then? Hubris.

Spurs were rightly called the best team in England for a full month before Friday night’s match. They plowed through opponents, rarely looking vulnerable and always the more likely to score the next goal. When Chelsea tripped up in losses to Crystal Palace and United, it felt like fate. The best team in England might just be awarded accordingly.

Arrogance tends to be punished in the most mundane of ways however. West Ham pulled no tricks Spurs should not have expected, nor were they lucky. They played a scrappy form of football, stood in front of the ball, let their goalkeeper put on a show and grasped hold of literally every chance they were given. When Manuel Lanzini scored in the 65th minute, it felt overdue.

Next: Tottenham player ratings: Title hopes dashed in loss to West Ham

Blame rises to the top, and in a way that is justified here. Pochettino believes in his players, and tells them that they are capable of anything. Sometimes, though, when the stakes are this high, it’s almost more valuable to remind players that they can still lose.