Tottenham Hotspur were flying high in the Premier League as we headed into the first international break of the 2021-22 season in September as they had a 100% record in the Premier league, but ahead of their match with Chelsea, they have dropped down to 7th place in the English top-flight after a defeat to Crystal Palace that saw them relinquish the summit position in the Premier League.
As the Lilywhites continue their season and face the prospect of squaring off against the title contenders and heavyweights of the English top division, FootTheBall takes a look at the possible results of playing against relatively tougher opponents in the most gruelling domestic league on the planet.
SPURS’ EARLY RUN OF FORM COURTESY OF WEAK OPPOSITION
The Lilywhites began their Premier league campaign with a win over defending champions Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Son Heung-min scored the winner for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team. After that, they faced Wolves and Watford before heading inot the international break.
They won by an identical scoreline of 1-0 against both of them, but one should take note that Watford are newly-promoted in the Premier league and Wolves under Bruno Lage are not the force they once were under Espirito Santo.
To put things into context, Watford are currently sitting 11th in the Premier League (owing to their victory over Norwich City), while Wolves are languishing in 16th place, just a solitary point above relegation in the English top-flight.
After the resumption of Premier League matches following the international break, Tottenham Hotspur faced Crystal Palace in the British capital and floundered against the Eagles, losing by a mammoth 3-0 margin and slipping to 7th place in the Premier League as a result.
And now they face European champions Chelsea in their next match and Nuno Espirito Santo, who has always emphasised the defensive aspect of his teams, will be hoping against hope to shut down the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech from scoring.
TOUGH RUN OF FIXTURES TO BE A TRIAL BY FIRE FOR SPURS
Until now, the Lilywhites have had a kind run of fixtures in the English top-flight, but from now on they will begin a run of fixtures where they will be facing the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa, West Ham United and Manchester United in the next six weeks in the Premier League.
How the Lilywhites perform against such opposition and whether Nuno Espirito Santo adapts to the challenges that come in his way will be pivotal in determining the fate of Tottenham Hotspur this season in the Premier League.
Therefore, going forward, Spurs will need to adapt to the challenges that come their way in the form of unpredictable teams if they are to mount a significant title challenge this season in the Premier League.
And a concerted and persevering effort from Nuno Espirito Santo and his charges will be required to reach the shore in Tottenham Hotspur’s case this season in the Premier League as they bid to challenge for the Premier league title this season and try and usurp the usual suspects when it comes to the business end of the season.