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Tottenham look to end season on high away to Hull

By Gary Pearson

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 18: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur (right) celebrates scoring their first goal with Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at The King Power Stadium on May 18, 2017 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 18: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur (right) celebrates scoring their first goal with Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at The King Power Stadium on May 18, 2017 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham travel to relegated Hull on Sunday looking to win consecutive away matches and finish the season on a high. 

Neither team have anything tangible to play for but the situation couldn’t be any different for Tottenham and Hull. Winning 11 of their last 12, Spurs have locked down second place and are enjoying their most successful season in 54 years.

How will Hull cope with confirmed relegation?

The polar opposite is true of the UK City of Culture, whose season has unravelled in recent weeks.

A 2-0 home defeat to a forlorn Sunderland side sealed Hull’s fate. It was their worst result by a long shot. They followed that disastrous loss by a typically listless 4-0 away shellacking to Crystal Palace.

Silva injected hope into a seemingly hopeless situation upon arriving at Hull. However, surviving the drop turned out to be too gargantuan a task. They have, for the most part, performed admirably at KCOM Stadium under the Argentine’s tutelage, losing only one of eight.

This is a different challenge altogether for Hull, who must somehow collectively pick themselves up after swallowing the bitter relegation pill just last week. It’s hard to blame them for being a bit mentally fragile, if that’s the case. On the flip side, Hull have nothing to lose and can play stress-free, with a sense of freedom previous circumstances haven’t allowed.

Spurs want to finish on a high

Mauricio Pochettino has instilled a winning belief that pervades throughout the dressing room. And that winning belief isn’t dependant on the importance of a particular match. Spurs were last year vilified for the disappointing way in which they closed out the season. History has – and will – not repeat itself.

This current Spurs outfit have learned their lesson, grown and matured as a collective and will look forward to playing their free-flowing style unfettered and uninhibited on Sunday. In addition, Harry Kane is on the verge of winning another Golden Boot and I’d be crestfallen if he let anything – or anyone – stand in his way.

Uncharacteristically, Spurs have failed to keep a clean sheet in three consecutive matches, a streak they’ll do their utmost to end. Hugo Lloris is a doubt for the match due to a knee injury he picked up against Leicester on Thursday. His probable absence should be inconsequential and have no bearing on the outcome.

Next: Harry Kane is the most valuable asset in England

According to PremierLeague.com, Christian Eriksen has scored three goals in as many matches recently against Hull. Look for Eriksen to continue his success against the Tigers, while banking on Kane to secure his status as Golden Boot winner.

Kane will be keeping some pretty élite company if he accomplishes the feat now expected of him, prospectively joining Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie as the only players to win consecutive Golden Boots.

Owen, if and when Kane wraps up the scoring title, will be the only younger player to achieve this remarkable personal accolade.