Nothing new for Tottenham
After spending the first two decades of Premier League football in relative mediocrity, Tottenham has stepped up in the past 15 years to establish themselves in the upper echelons. After numerous changes last summer, almost nothing has changed in that respect. What to make of it?
Funnily enough, results-wise, the last 15 years have been the best and also the worst for half a century. Between the 1950s and 2000s, every one of the six decades produced at least one major trophy; their last piece of silverware, however, is the 2008 League Cup (won by the likes of Ledley King, Aaron Lennon, and Dimitar Berbatov).
But in modern football, trophies are just one way to evaluate success. The very same 2007-08 season was the last time Tottenham finished outside the top eight, something their rival Chelsea might do for a third time since then, and yet they are considered a level above Tottenham. Maybe it has something to do with the two Champions Leagues, three league titles, and 13 total trophies they have won in the same time span?
Tottenham have played in Europe for 14 consecutive seasons, but are now chasing fourth-placed Aston Villa after a humiliating 0-4 collapse against Newcastle last weekend. Fifth place will not help them return to the Champions League. Did they bottle their golden era, finishing third in a two-horse race in 2015-16 (when Leicester won the title) and losing the 2019 Champions League final?
Or should we consider the other angle: after losing Harry Kane, who was the top scorer of the club for the past nine (!) seasons, and taking a risk on head coach Ange Postecoglou who worked in the Greek third division when Tottenham last won a trophy, Tottenham are still there. They are still competitive, and they are building towards a new era.
Can they start off by reaching the Champions League and which other games to enjoy over the weekend?
All times listed below are in Eastern European Summer Time (GMT+3).
RB Leipzig – Borussia Dortmund
Saturday 16:30
It will be a Super Saturday for Bundesliga fans, with Leipzig welcoming Dortmund followed by Bayer Leverkusen vs Stuttgart later on the same day. Although all four teams are likely to end up in the Champions League next season – the Bundesliga has a 98.8% chance to earn a bonus spot – there are plenty of storylines to follow.
Dortmund will not want to finish fifth with a top-three spot not that far away (six points, with four games to go) while Leipzig is currently two points ahead in fourth. Games between the two have produced 3,9 goals on average over the past five years; Leipzig won 3-2 away from home in December and have been more consistent lately. Dortmund will have one eye on the Champions League semi-final too (they will host PSG on Wednesday).
Tottenham – Arsenal
Sunday 16:00
After disappointing exits for Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and West Ham, there is just a 1.1% chance that the Premier League will earn a fifth Champions League spot. Tottenham are currently six points away from Aston Villa with two games in hand; their run-in is quite similar with both Chelsea and Liverpool to come plus two must-win games. The remaining two for Tottenham? Arsenal and Man City.
There is nothing better for them to ruin Arsenal’s title hopes, but they have won just one of their last six head-to-heads (1D 4L). Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in their last six away games while Tottenham have conceded in their last 12 home games. They will need Heung-min Son to step up once again, he scored twice in the return fixture to salvage a 2-2 draw.
Napoli – AS Roma
Sunday 19:00
With Inter crowned champions on Monday, a meeting between Juventus and AC Milan on Saturday will likely not mean much (both should make it to the Champions League barring a late collapse). But Napoli vs Roma, with five rounds to go, promises fireworks. Napoli, the hottest team in Europe just twelve months ago, are eighth, while Roma holds fifth place.
Roma have already taken the pitch for 18 minutes this week, as they had to finish a rescheduled game vs Udinese; a goal late into overtime earned them all three points and made sure they can still dream of a Champions League spot. For Napoli, any European competition would be a bonus at this stage. Their last game ended in a 0-1 loss to Empoli, and they have won just one of their last six games.
The Betis Babble
OlyBet is the proud betting partner of Real Betis.
Next game: Sunday 22:00 vs Sevilla
After a dreadful March, Betis are back in the fight. Two goals from Ayoze Perez helped down Valencia 2-1 and Betis climbed back to seventh place, just three points behind Real Sociedad whom they will meet on May 19th.
Next up is Sevilla, whose season can only be described as a failure. They have sacked two coaches and are still 12th with not much to play for. But in recent weeks, they have put together their best run of the season with three wins on the bounce (vs Getafe, Las Palmas, and Mallorca); they could be a handful for Betis, as Sevilla has dominated against them for years (6W 4D in the last ten games).
