Win, lose, or win: the reason Tottenham don’t draw Premier League games anymore
Tottenham don’t sign players, they don’t win semi-finals, and they most certainly don’t do boring draws!
You have to spool the reel back to April for Tottenham’s last draw in the Premier League: a drab 1-1 at Brighton.
After a goalless first half, Harry Kane broke the deadlock early in the second through a pretty unremarkable strike deflecting in off a blue shirt. But the visitors could only hold on for a couple of minutes before Brighton drew level via a penalty.
Since then, however, there has barely been a dull moment at Tottenham. The Lily whites won three and lost one of their remaining fixtures that campaign – culminating in 6-5 final day triumph over Leicester City – and have played 26 league games this term without registering a single draw.
It was a late goal against Newcastle earlier this month that stretched Tottenham’s overall drawless streak in the league to 29 games, beating a record previously held by Bolton Wanderers since 2011.
Why no draws?
So why are Spurs behaving like a spoiled tot that just doesn’t like sharing?
The main reason is the indomitable spirit Mauricio Pochettino has instilled in the ranks. Long gone are the ‘Lads it’s Tottenham’ days. This side has the savvy to see out games and, more strikingly, has found a Fergie-esque ability to grab late goals, with countless examples from the last few months alone.
Just as Burnley’s ‘operation time waste’ almost earned them a point at Wembley, Christian Eriksen fired home in the 91st minute. Harry Winks was the hero at Craven Cottage, nodding home a cross in the 93rd, and let’s not forget Fernando Llorente’s late goal versus Watford after Son Heung-Min had drawn Spurs level in the 80th.
All those bonus two points add up to keep Spurs close enough to the summit of the table to be considered genuine title contenders. In fact, they have as many victories as Liverpool (20), and three points against Burnley on Saturday would bring them level with Manchester City in the same column.
At the other end of the variance, Spurs have been rather unlucky in half of their defeats. They should have had a chance to equalise from the spot late on against Liverpool; while, a David de Gea masterclass and a scuffed Erik Lamela shot were the difference between something and nothing against Manchester’s might.
dark. Next. Tottenham's tactics have them on the verge of glory
It’s hard to see Tottenham not splitting the points for any of their remaining 12 fixtures, especially as that includes some tough outings against Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal.
Funnily enough, if Liverpool lose to Manchester United, then the league is in Tottenham’s own hands; they would just probably need to register 12 out of 12 wins. While it seems rather fanciful, this team just keeps on fighting and keeps on surprising.