Chadder View: Tottenham could still push for first Premier League title with smart January transfer business
Matthew Chadder is a lifelong Tottenham fan who grew up just down the road from his beloved club in North London. He’s now putting his passion for Spurs into words with a daily fan view for Tottenham News…
It has been a weird season for Tottenham and the Premier League as a whole.
Although Liverpool currently occupy first place, it feels as if the momentum in the league can swing at any moment. It has been a fascinating season during which no team has truly dominated or run away with anything, at least not yet.
Aston Villa find themselves two points clear of Manchester City as we approach the halfway point of the Premier League season, which is something no one would have envisioned in August.
Depending on results next week, either Liverpool, Arsenal or Villa could finish the weekend top of the Premier League, that is how tight it is at the top.
What does this mean? It means the title race is wide open, and Tottenham are not quite yet out of the conversation. Do I believe at this moment in time we will win the league? No.
However, do I think some strong business in January could see us challenge for the league? It is certainly possible.
Even though everyone I speak with continues to suggest that City will eventually pick up their usual mid-season form and run away with proceedings, I just don’t see it this year. They have not been the same without Kevin De Bruyne, and there is no guarantee that he will be at his best upon his return to action after such a lengthy layoff.
If City don’t run away with it, then it really is up for grabs and neither Arsenal nor Liverpool, and certainly not Villa, strike me as teams that we have don’t have any chance of finishing above. We went five games without a win, and we are still just seven points off the top and a few points behind the rest.
If it wasn’t for our injuries and suspensions, I genuinely believe we would be sat at the top of the table right now, and with a healthy advantage to boast too. It is our squad depth which has let us down, which is why January is so crucial.
Should Daniel Levy do what he usually does throughout January – which is not very much – then it will be a top-four race for us, at best. However, if we still find ourselves in and around the top spot come February, with our full-team back fit and firing and a few additions through the door, who is to say what is possible?
Arsenal, Liverpool, Villa and City will all have the demands of Europe to contend with and could slowly start to drop some points.
With just one competition to play in and a bigger squad for Ange Postecoglou to play around with, the possibilities would truly be limitless. The problem is that Postecoglou needs that bigger squad first to capitalise on any potential advantages, and that requires some money to be spent.
Levy has a chance to spend that money and help our manager make history, and it will be interesting to see how January unfolds.
The opening is there Levy, now go and take it.
In other Tottenham news, the club face a nightmare scenario in January with one star player set to miss up to six games.