Time to start looking at the run-in
There are all sorts of good things to say about Spurs after their seventh away win of this season on Sunday at The Hawthorns.
Firstly, we have already matched our away win tally of last season, and currently, only Manchester United have won more away this season.
Secondly, there is our position in the top four, only the single point behind Chelsea. We are three points and three goals better off than fifth placed Everton, and four points above Arsenal. We've also played one more away game than we have at home at this moment in time, which means the gooners have more away games to play.
We are now on a nine match unbeaten run in the league, and have secured five clean sheets in those games.
Congratulations must go to Gareth Bale for another supreme goal, and a superb performance, noted by the voters in this week's survey, who number some 245 individuals. Bale scored 8.6, and was voted man of the match for the third consecutive game. That makes seven such votes in our 35 games played so far.
Bale is one of three players leading the cumulative scores for the season, with average grades of 6.9+. The other two are the injured Sandro, and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris who consistently wins good scores from the Spurs Odyssey audience. Lewis Holtby has made a great start to his Spurs career, and could well be in the mix at the end of the season. So far his two substitute appearances have drawn marks over 7 out of 10.
It is time to start looking at the run-ins of the teams who are battling it out for the two Champions League places behind Man Utd and Man City. The title race clearly looks as if it will be between those two sides again, but I have chosen to take a peek at the remaining 13 fixtures for ourselves, Chelsea, Everton and Arsenal.
One advantage I feel we have this year is less games to be played in this crucial period against teams fighting relegation. Last year we faced games against QPR, Blackburn, Bolton and Aston Villa, all of whom were immersed in the fight, when we played them. This time around, we have already played three of the bottom four at home and away. We've done well too, beating Reading and Villa at home and away, and taking four points off QPR.
Every game is a potential banana skin of course, and this Saturday's game against "Les Geordies" will be tougher than we thought it would be before the transfer window opened. Last week-end's surprise results for Chelsea and Everton showed how tricky any game can be, but they were both facing teams desperate to avoid the drop. Newcastle have already done themselves a big favour with two wins on the trot.
There are plenty of tough games ahead for us in the shape of Arsenal, Everton and Man City at home, together with Liverpool and Chelsea away. However, Wigan (A) and Southampton (H) are the only two games I'd pick out at present as being against relegation-threatened sides.
Chelsea have a busy spell coming up, with an unwanted FA Cup replay against Brentford in the middle of two Europa League games, before a trip to The Etihad. They also have to play Man Utd and Liverpool away before the end of the season. Everton have to play all the other top seven sides, and apart from Man City those games are all away from home.
Arsenal arguably have the easiest programme, so it will be up to us to get a much needed home win on March 3rd.
The downside for Spurs of course is the latest injury to Jermain Defoe, who, we are told, will be out for at least two or three weeks, but on the plus side Emmanuel Adebayor's Togo have been knocked out of the African Cup of Nations, so he'll be back soon.
There is plenty of excitement to come, and overall, I have to say I feel more optimistic that we will once again be playing Champions League football next season.
Michael Dawson has now caught up with William Gallas in terms of captaincy this season, as both have worn the armband in 15 games. Michael Dawson has clearly won AVB's favour and has led the side in their last 6 Premier League games.
P.S - Well done to Mark Clattenburg, who has had plenty of stick from Spurs fans over the years, but was subject of many favourable comments this week, not just because he spotted Popov's spitting offence. Clattenburg has refereed two away wins for us this season, so I think we ought to welcome him officiating another game in our last thirteen!
· See this week's Spursometer in full
Results 02-03.02.13
QPR 0-0 Norwich
Arsenal 1-0 Stoke
Everton 3-3 A. Villa
Newcastle 3-2 Chelsea
Reading 2-1 S'derland
West Ham 1-0 Swansea
Wigan 2-2 S'hampton
Fulham 0-1 Man Utd
West Brom 0-1 Spurs
Man City 2-2 Liverpool
Barclays Premier League
P W D L F-A GD Pts
1. Man Utd 25 20 2 3 60-31 29 62
2. Man City 25 15 8 2 47-21 26 53
3. Chelsea 25 13 7 5 51-27 24 46
4. Spurs 25 13 6 6 42-29 13 45
5. Everton 25 10 12 3 40-30 10 42
6. Arsenal 25 11 8 6 49-29 20 41
7. Liverpool 25 9 9 7 44-32 12 36
8. Swansea 25 8 10 7 34-28 6 34
9. West Brom 25 10 4 11 34-35 -1 34
10. Stoke 25 6 12 7 24-30 -6 30
11. West Ham 25 8 6 11 28-36 -8 30
12. S'derland 25 7 8 10 28-33 -5 29
13. Fulham 25 7 7 11 36-42 -6 28
14. Norwich 25 6 10 9 25-40 -15 28
15. Newcastle 25 7 6 12 33-44 -11 27
16. S'hampton 25 5 9 11 33-44 -11 24
17. Reading 25 5 8 12 32-46 -14 23
18. Wigan 25 5 6 14 29-47 -18 21
19. A. Villa 25 4 9 12 23-49 -26 21
20. QPR 25 2 11 12 18-37 -19 17
