Editorial

English Angle: Where Do Tottenham's 'Nine' Put Them In The Race For Fourth?

A real warning shot or just another ray of false hope from the Lane?

Nov 23, 2009 3:47:49 PM

EPL: Jermain Defoe, Tottenham - Wigan Athletic (Getty Images)

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EPL: Jermain Defoe, Tottenham - Wigan Athletic (Getty Images)

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In each of the last few seasons, the big four have managed to sustain their monopoly on Champions League places, but not without several scares.

Liverpool were in fact beaten to the fourth and final spot by local rivals Everton in 2005, the year they went on to win the competition, thus controversially earning a fifth Champions League qualifying spot for the Premier League.

The following season saw Spurs throw it away to their local rivals Arsenal as late as the last day. Even last season, the Gunners were cutting it close until Aston Villa's end-of-season capitulation.

Now it's Liverpool again who are floundering, currently five points behing Spurs, who grabbed with the six hands of Ganesh, two feet and ... something else, the chance to make fourth spot their own, thrashing Wigan in a record-breaking 9-1 win yesterday after Liverpool and Manchester City drew at Anfield the day before.

Central to the demolition job was Jermain Defoe, who continued his red-hot form of the season so far, scoring five second-half goals.

With Liverpool last in this four-horse race for fourth place, preceded by City and then Villa in fifth behind Spurs, the balance of power is the subject of widespread intrigue.

NUMBERS GAME

9 goals. The joint most ever scored by one side in a Premier League fixture.

8 wins for Spurs this season puts them level with Arsenal (having played one more game).

7 minutes is all it took for Jermain Defoe to net his hat-trick.

6 minutes were left when Mario Melchiot was withdrawn, with six goals conceded at the time.

5 goals for Defoe equalled a Premier League record, scored faster than ever before.

4 is the magical spot now in Spurs' own hands thanks to yesterday's big win.

3 assists for Lennon in an understandably overlooked but fantastic return to fitness & form.

2 goals now separate Defoe and his highest ever Premier League goalscoring tally.
1-0, believe it or not, was the score at half-time.

After all, the Reds are the biggest club with the established status quo of having reached the top four for the last four seasons, and City were billed as their closest contenders after their extraordinary summer spending.

Their respective slumps opened the door for an understated Aston Villa, who despite their good form, are likely to lack the squad to last the pace with the other three, especially with a wealth of clashes against the big sides yet to come.

Lennon strikes after three assists

Spurs, on the other hand, have only lost once to a side not above them in the table, and drawn one other. It's an impressive if not quite ominous run of form that must now stand the ultimate test of beating the sides around them.

Besides Man City's infamous win over Arsenal, their next best opponents to have tasted defeat are Blackburn, with some disappointing draws coming against many other sides.

Hefty spending finally looks like paying off at White Hart Lane, as there is now a squad in place that can - in some respects, at least - hold up against the likes of Liverpool and Man City.

If fortune begins favouring Liverpool in the treatment room, then the thought of them reclaiming fourth place becomes somewhat more inevitable, but it is with City that Spurs will have their most direct competition.

Defensive strength could end up being the difference between the two, though Spurs so far have kept decent pace with Mark Hughes' men, conceding just two more while scoring a further nine - an aggregate looking particularly strong due to yesterday's exploits.

Five-star Defoe

One thing Spurs may have lacked in recent years when going head-to-head with the heavyweights is matchwinners.

They have never abandoned their attack-minded philosophy and stylish football, but the best proponents have been plying their trade away from the Lane, until now.

Aaron Lennon is finally realising something close to his full potential. Luka Modric, prior to his injury, was also starting to justify his price tag after months of looking a little lost within the raft of personnel and formation changes.

Even Wilson Palacios has proved to be an outstanding signing capable of locking horns with any of the best central midfielders around when at his very best.

The headline grabber - justifiably so - has been Jermain Defoe. He is getting all the goals. His five yesterday put him clear of Fernando Torres, and has him now at a scoring rate of 11 in 11 appearances.

He averages a goal every 75 minutes, better than Torres at 82. No one else averages under 90; with Saha at 110, Drogba 116, and in-form former Spurs man Darren Bent at 128.

His five goals yesterday came in better time than Andy Cole's against Ipswich and Alan Shearer's against Sheffield Wednesday, quite arguably against better opposition as well, and without doubt, in the best style of the three. There were no rebounds as there were with Cole, no penalties as there was with Shearer.

Poor defending though there was, Defoe dispatched each strike in superb style. He may not be able to displace Wayne Rooney from the national team, but could prove a lethal weapon like no other if he keeps up this form on his way to South Africa.

Sulmaan Ahmad, Goal.com UK

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