Winning eight of their last 11 matches to begin January, Tottenham love kicking off their new year with a bang.
Other than the one blip on the radar — a 1-0 defeat at Southampton in the first match of 2020 — Tottenham haven’t lost their first match of a new year since falling 2-1 to Manchester United in 2014.
While the last 11 years have been particularly pleasing, Tottenham’s overall record in first matches of a calendar year since the Premier League started in 1992-1993 is also nothing to scoff at, with the Lilywhites winning 16 of 29. Their overall record is 16 wins, nine losses and four draws, a return of 52 from a possible 87 points.
Most goals scored in first game of year
There have been some electrifying thrillers over the years, including Tottenham’s epic 5-3 victory over Chelsea at White Hart Lane on Jan. 1, 2015. That marked the second time Tottenham have managed five goals in the first game of a calendar year. The other saw Tottenham thrash Everton 5-2 at White Hart Lane, again on New Year’s Day, in 2005.
Do you remember who bagged goals in those high-scoring affairs? Dean Marney notched a brace while Reto Zeigler, Pedro Mendes and Robbie Keane rounded out the goals against Everton almost 17 years ago.
Harry Kane, who scored two, Danny Rose, Andros Townsend and Nacer Chadli did the damage against Chelsea seven years ago. It was Spurs first league win over Chelsea in five years, and what an emphatic win it was.
Top Goalscorer
If only winning the sweepstakes was as easy as predicting who Tottenham’s top goalscorer in first matches of the year is. No need to further the non-existent suspense: Harry Kane is atop the leaderboard with six, while Dele Alli sits in second with four. Chris Armstrong and Robbie Keane finished with three apiece.
Kane is also the only Tottenham player to score two braces in the first matches of a calendar year. He accomplished the feat in the aforementioned match against Chelsea and also bagged two in the 4-1 away win at Watford on Jan. 1, 2017.
Alli, Armstrong, Stéphane Dalmat, Dean Marney have also bagged a brace each to kick off a new year in style.
Other interesting first-match facts
- Spurs have won three first matches in a row on three separate occasions, but have never won in four consecutive years
- They’ve kept 11 clean sheets and three in the last four years
- Played Manchester United the most, five times, losing four and winning one
- No Spurs player has scored a hat trick in first matches of the year