Spurs - Points Comparison with Last Season

Tottenham - Plus 14 Points

(Up-dated 7th February, 2012)

Spurs opened the 2011-12 season with two heavy defeats but have managed to recover the lost ground to put themselves in a stronger position compared with the same stage of the season last year.

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At present Tottenham are sitting in third position in the League with 50 points, five behind Manchester United and seven adrift of the leaders, Manchester City.  Spurs have a seven point advantage over Chelsea and are eight points ahead of Newcastle United.  Arsenal are ten points behind with last night's opponents, Liverpool, a further point down in seventh position.

At the same stage last season after twenty four games Spurs were fifth with 41 points following a 1 - 0 win at Blackburn.  They then won their next two games against Bolton and Sunderland before losing at Blackpool which was the point where their season ground to a halt with only one win in next nine games and six draws.
 
The comparison of fixtures played shows how Spurs have a 14 points advantage over last season, a very credible situation:

Manchester Utd (a)   -

Manchester City (h) - 1

Wolves (a) + 2

Liverpool (h)  -

Wigan (a)  + 2

Arsenal (h)  + 2

Newcastle (a)   -
Blackburn (a)  -
QPR (WHU*) (h) +2
Fulham (a)  -

Aston Villa (h) - 

WBA (a) +2

Bolton (h) -

Stoke City (a) -3

Sunderland (h) +2

Chelsea (h) -

Norwich (Blackpool*) (a) + 3

Swansea (Birmingham*) -

WBA (h) +2
Everton (h) +2
Wolves (h) -2
Manchester City (a) -
Wigan (h) + 3
Liverpool (a) -2 

[* QPR, Norwich & Swansea in comparison with WHU, Blackpool & Birmingham City as the relegated teams)

This season's results show a positive score of 14 points but Spurs are facing difficult fixtures before the end of February - Newcastle United (h) (Win**), Arsenal (a) (Won**) and Manchester United (h) (Draw**).  

[** Last season's result]

Spurs' form this season is better than any they have produced in the Premier League and has only been bettered by the 'Double' winning team of 1960 - 61.  For this month they need to negotiate the next three difficult matches with as many points as possible and then assess their options with regard a push for the title when they need to regain the sort of form which saw them put together an unbeaten run from the beginning of August to mid-December when referee, Chris Foy, stepped in to assist Stoke City in bringing it to an end.  Spurs have lost four League games this season and only the two Manchester clubs having lost less.  Through January and into February, Spurs have continued to improve in comparison with last year's games even though they have had the disappointment of two wins turning into draws this year, especially the home game against Wolves, and the nature of the loss against Manchester City.

Hopefully, this year, having negotiated the games in February, Spurs will be able to build on that and mount a sustained challenge on City's and United's position at the top of the Premier League, to make a good season even more enjoyable.

Spurs - Comparison with Season 2010 - 11

Tottenham - Plus 13 Points

(Up-dated 4th January, 2012)

Spurs opened the 2011-12 season with two heavy defeats but have managed to recover the lost ground to put themselves in a stronger position compared with the same stage of the season last year.

At present Tottenham are sitting in third position in the League with a game in hand on all other teams around them.  The postponement of the opening day fixture against Everton because of the riots near White Hart Lane immediately put Spurs at a disadvantage and this was compounded when their next games were against the two Manchester clubs who made a flying start to the new season.  So when all the other teams had played three games Spurs found themselves pointless and at the bottom of the League.

Now, at the mid-point of the season, Spurs have made a remarkable recovery by accumulating 42 points from thirteen wins and three draws. 

The comparison of fixtures played shows how Spurs have a 13 points advantage over last season, a credible situation:
 

Manchester Utd (a)   -

Manchester City (h) - 1

Wolves (a) + 2

Liverpool (h)  -

Wigan (a)  + 2

Arsenal (h)  + 2

Newcastle (a)   -
Blackburn (a)  -
QPR (WHU*) (h) +2
Fulham (a)  -

Aston Villa (h) - 

WBA (a) +2

Bolton (h) -

Stoke City (a) -3

Sunderland (h) +2

Chelsea (h) -

Norwich (Blackpool*) (a) + 3

Swansea (Birmingham*) -

WBA (h) +2

[* QPR, Norwich & Swansea in comparison with WHU, Blackpool & Birmingham City as the relegated teams)

This season's results show a positive score of 13 points and with four matches to the end of January, three at home, Spurs will be looking to consolidate and improve on that position.  

 

Next up is Everton (h) (Draw**), Wolves (h) (Win**), Manchester City (a) (Lost**) and Wigan (h) (Lost**).

[** Last season's result]

Competition at the top of the Premier League is very competitive this season with every team needing to take advantage of other teams' misfortune.  Over the holiday period Spurs were the only team in the top nine clubs not to lose so while there was disappointment at the late goal conceded against Swansea and the draw with Chelsea, overall we are still in a strong position.  

 

Last  night's success over West Brom didn't have the flowing football of the win over Norwich a week earlier but was a hard-earned three points.  At this point of the season that's all that matters so that the challenge at the top of the League can be maintained as other top clubs have slipped up in similar matches.  Spurs and Manchester United have both played 19 games and Spurs trail by three points but United have the opportunity to rejoin City at the top of the table but need to beat Newcastle United in a difficult away fixture.  

Spurs' form this season is better than any they have produced in the Premier League and has only been bettered by the 'Double' winning team of 1960 - 61.  Hopefully, a week's rest and recuperation and they will be ready for what is sure to be another difficult match against Everton next Wednesday.

Tottenham - Comparision with Last Season

(Updated 7th November, 2011)
Spurs opened the 2011-12 season with two heavy defeats but have managed to recover the lost ground to put themselves in a stronger position compared with the same stage of the season last year.

At present Tottenham are sitting in fifth position in the Premier League  with a game in hand on all other teams around them.  The postponement of the opening day fixture against Everton because of the riots near White Hart Lane immediately put Spurs at a disadvantage and this was compounded when their next games were against the two Manchester clubs who made a flying start to the new season.  So when all the other teams had played three games Spurs found themselves pointless and at the bottom of the League.

Now, after ten games Spurs have made a remarkable recovery by accumulating 22 points from seven wins and a draw.  Seven wins in eight games has taken them level on points with Chelsea but with the home game against Everton to be played some time in the future, probably in January.  This is Tottenham's highest number of points after ten games in  the Premier League.  The draw at Newcastle United who maintained their undefeated start to the season, could so easily have been another three points but for an excellent strike for the equalising goal, three minutes from time.  Twice in that game Spurs conceded a one goal advantage.

After 10 games (6 away), Spurs are currently in 5th place with 22 points, having played one match less than everyone else.

Last season, at the same stage (with 5 away games), Spurs were occupying 5th position but with only 15 points and having played the same number of games as those around them.  They had 4 wins and 3 draws.

The comparison of fixtures played shows how Spurs have a 7 points advantage over last season, a credible situation as the most recent fixtures have been against teams who were beaten by Spurs in last season's corresponding games:
 

Manchester Utd (a)   -

Manchester City (h) - 1

Wolves (a) + 2

Liverpool (h)  -

Wigan (a)  + 2

Arsenal (h)  + 2

Newcastle (a)   -
Blackburn (a)  -
QPR (WHU*) (h) +2
Fulham (a)  -

[* QPR in comparison with WHU as relegated team)

This season's results show a positive score of 7 points but to maintain that progress Spurs will need to continue this winning sequence as their next fixture is at home to Aston Villa.  Following that match the fixtures up to Christmas see Spurs visit WBA (Draw**), Bolton (h) (Won**), Stoke (a) (Won**), Sunderland (h) (Draw**) and Chelsea (h) (Draw**).
[** Last season's result]

Manchester City have the advantage at present, United are looking less assured than they did at the start of the season but will overcome that, Newcastle who are currently in third place and undefeated have yet to play any of the top teams.  However, that anomoly will be resolved in the next few weeks as they play City, United and Chelsea.  Tottenham found it difficult against Fulham but were prepared to battle throughout the second half, they will need to maintain a similar work ethic in coming weeks as teams try to deny them the time and space they like to have to enable them to play their intricate passing game.  Tottenham can't afford any slips as Liverpool and Arsenal are also closing in on fourth place.

After the break for the internationals during the next fortnight, every team has a busy schedule up to the end of the year and Spurs have the additional Europa League games against PAOK Salonika and Shamrock Rovers.  These are also games which they need to win to ensure qualification for the knock-out stages in the new year.