When Tottenham Hotspur take on Manchester City Saturday, it kicks off a stretch of 13 games in 43 days, which can help define how successful not the season will be.
The holiday period is great for fans with all the games as the calendar year comes to an end. However, the burden on the players is incredible and last year, Spurs lost a few players – including Moussa Sissoko and Harry Kane – over the holidays to long term injuries. This season, the schedule is full and difficult, leaving Spurs in a position to either set themselves up for a big year or leave themselves with a lot of questions in the middle of a long season. So, what does the next six weeks have in store for Spurs?
Premier League Matches
Nine of the 13 matches Tottenham will play over the 43 days are in the Premier League. Given Spurs are currently second in the league after eight matches, thus dreams of a title are not completely crazy. However, title talk is also far too premature at this point not yet a full quarter of way into the season. Frankly, title talk at the end of this 43-day stretch would still be early, but if Spurs are as close to first as they are now, it would not be crazy talk.
The reason it would not be crazy talk at that point is Spurs would be nearly half-way done with their season, with 17 of 38 matches in the Premier League played. Just as importantly, the matches will have come and been won against some of the toughest competition Spurs will fact all season. Over the next six weeks Tottenham play the teams currently ranked 5th, 8th, 3rd, 1st, and 9th (Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Leicester City, and Wolverhampton) in the table and that does not even include Manchester City (10th) or Arsenal (11th).
It will not be until the end of the year, when Tottenham face Fulham on December 28, that Spurs will again face a true bottom half club. Even Fulham is a London Derby, which adds to the tension and will be the 4th London Derby Spurs play in the next six weeks, including the North London Derby with Arsenal the first Saturday in December. Then Spurs close the run with a visit from Leeds, who can clearly score a lot of goals, so expect fireworks on January 2.
Basically, if Tottenham can still be in the top couple spots as they are now and within a point or two of first as they are now, sure we can start thinking about the title, as Spurs will have earned the right to be part of the conversation. However, there is a TON of Premier League football between now and then, so the focus should rightly be on Manchester City and the game at hand, not where things might be if, because if gets us nowhere, focus, gets us points and wins. To get those points and wins, Spurs will have to earn them
Tottenham in Europa League
We know Tottenham did not have an easy path to get to Europa League, but clearly, they like things the hard way, as they are currently only ahead of the group on goal difference. That said, goal difference is enough, where is Tottenham win their next three matches, they will advance as the winners of Group J.
Winning the Group is important as it means you avoid other group winners and hopefully have a bit easier of a draw for the Round of 32. Spurs start those last three matches with the home side of a home-and-home series with Ludogorets. Tottenham won in Bulgaria the last time out, 1-3 when Harry Kane made his 300th appearance and scored his 200th career goal.
That is a major game as Ludogorets is the only winless team in the group, so any win by the Bulgarians within the next three games would be an upset and really play havoc on advancement. On December 3 in two weeks, Spurs travel to Linz to play LASK. Tottenham beat LASK at home and would potentially be able to at least guarantee advancement with a win, making it a big game.
The final game in the group for Tottenham is December 10 home against Royal Antwerp. Given Antwerp beat Tottenham in Belgium, Spurs should be looking for revenge and at minimum not overlooking their opponent.
The real kicker to the Europa League games is that come between the heavy Premier League schedule. Ludogorets is after Manchester City and before Chelsea. LASK is after the Blues and before Arsenal. Finally, Antwerp is the match immediately following the Gunners game, but before another London Derby – a third straight in league – against Crystal Palace.
All this is to say that the games themselves will be more difficult than just playing any of the teams at random as Jose works to rotate the squad, deal with the inevitable injuries that occur, and tries to keep the team fit for 1 game every 3.3 days for six straight weeks. All that goes back to the idea of taking it one game at a time, because there really is no other way.
Spurs in Carabao Cup
Speaking of one game at a time, that is the story of the Carabao Cup at this point. Tottenham are in the Quarterfinals and travel to Stoke City, two days before Christmas. That happens to be four days after hosting Leicester City and 3 days before going to Wolves. Talk about a festive season!
Victory against Stoke means Spurs would advance to the semi-finals and likely would see the Leeds game moved as the matches would be too close, but then again, the FA has made stranger decisions. While it would be easy to field a young side in the Cup against Stoke, it may also be the most direct, best chance at a trophy this year, so do not expect Mourinho to take it lightly.
The bottom line is Tottenham Hotspur are about to enter a big stretch of games. A stretch that may not win them any trophies this season but can certainly put them in position to make a run at them or leave them out of two competitions and longing for the 38 minutes of first place a few weeks back. We at HotspurHQ think things are going to go well and expect that come January 3, Spurs will be alive and well in 3 competitions, with a lot of things to talk about.