September success on the docket for Tottenham Hotspur?
By Aaron Coe
After playing four games over 23 days to start the season, Tottenham Hotspur are back from the international break with seven games over as many days to keep the momentum rolling.
With a big 4-0 win versus Palace, Tottenham hope their season is back on track. They have a full fixture of matches to look forward and, with a big September, can put themselves in a strong position in all competitions heading into October.
9/18 @ Olympiakos in UCL
Tottenham start their 2019-20 UEFA Champions League campaign in Greece, facing Olympiakos FC at Kariaiskaki Stadium. Olympiakos have advanced this far in the competition as a qualifier finishing off Krasnodar 6-1 on aggregate to advance to the group stage. The Greek Superleague season has only just begun and Olympiakos are a perfect 2-0 and are fourth in the league on goal difference. Olympiakos have already played eight games this season, winning seven, drawing one and scoring 15 goals, while only conceding one which came against Krasnodar last round.
Beyond their strong early form, Olympiakos has a history of beating English competition in Europe at home. Since 2009-10 they have won five of six European matches against English opponents, having beaten Arsenal three times, Burnley once, and Manchester United once. These results will be a good motivating factor for Tottenham. Given the poor start to last season’s Champions League, Tottenham are looking to secure all three points in Greece.
9/21 @ Leicester City in BPL
Matchday six brings Tottenham to another top half side, as Spurs head to King Power Stadium to take on Leicester City on Saturday, September 21. After draws against Wolverhampton and Chelsea where Leicester managed just one goal, the Foxes bagged five in the last two victories over Sheffield United and Bournemouth. Jamie Vardy is on form with thre goals in the young season, including a brace on Matchday four versus Bournemouth. With Youri Tielemans a full time Fox and James Maddison still at City following a summer of transfer speculation, this is a team with a lot of talent. With three victories to accompany three draws versus Tottenham since returning to the Premier League in 2014, Leicester City will provide a stern test.
9/24 @ Colchester United in League Cup
A fourth game in 10 days is already a lot for a team to take. A the trip up to the northeast coast sandwiched between Leicester and Southampton will likely offer an opportunity for many squad players. Expect some youth to be on display with the likes of Troy Parrott, and maybe some other folks who have been on the fringes of the first team – Wanyama, Dier, Skipp, etc. – to get some time.
9/28 home to Southampton in BPL
After dropping the first two matches of their campaign by a combined 5-1 at Burnley and home to Liverpool, Southampton has managed to get their season back on track. Matchday 3 was a 0-2 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex. That match was followed up with a 1-1 draw versus Manchester United, giving the Saints 4 points. With games against Sheffield United and Bournemouth before their trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Southampton could legitimately be a top-half side. Tottenham need to be prepared for a tough test, particularly in a rather condensed period of matches.
10/1 home to Bayern Munich in UCL
Just three days after hosting Southampton in the League, the headlining match for group B occurs when Spurs host FC Bayern Munich in London. Bayern did draw on Matchday 1 of the Bundesliga season, but have won the last two matches and already have 11 goals in just three games, with only three against. The reigning German champions return goal scoring machine Robert Lewandowksi and still have Manuel Neuer in goal. However, it was a summer of change as several new faces joined the German powerhouse. Frenchman Benajmin Pavard, Croatian Ivan Perisic, and Brazilian Philippe Coutinho all joined Bayern over the summer. Add those names to David Alaba, Lucas Hernandez, and Thomas Muller and this is a squad dripping with world class talent. This should be an excellent Tuesday evening in the capital.
10/5 @ Brighton and Hove Albion in BPL
The seventh and final game for Spurs before the next international break – which comes only 24 days after the last ended – is a trip to the Amex versus Brighton and Hove Albion. The Gulls started their season on a real high, defeating Watford 0-3 AT Vicarage Road. However, following that game with a tie home to West Ham came back-to-back losses to Southampton and Manchester City by a combined score of 0-6, which have the Seagulls in sole possession of 16th place, just a point above a four-way logjam in the relegation zone.
With four games, including a League cup match versus Aston Villa between now and this early October match, its difficult to say what kind of form Brighton will be in. What we do know is this is the early lunchtime game before the next international break and Brighton is another team Tottenham Hotspur should and must beat.
So, there we have it, four games in the league, two in the UCL, and one in the League Cup means we have a lot of football to look forward to over the next three weeks. Let’s enjoy it and hope by the time we are looking at the break, Spurs are back to their high pressing, fast moving best, competing for glory on all four fronts.