The last year has seen many changes in football, not least in North London where it appears Tottenham Hotspur are finally taking away the mantel of best team from Arsenal. The White Hart Lane faithful have been looking forward to this for years and it seems they are finally within touching distance of eclipsing their local and fiercest rivals.
It has been a long time coming for the fans who have endured a terrible record against Arsenal in recent times. The arrival of Harry Redknapp in 2008 appears to have galvanised the squad and given them the belief to improve and advance up the Premier League. Their stint in last season’s Champions League came as a refreshing change after years of watching the same four sides compete in Europe’s elite competition. The whole experience is something the whole club are keen to do again.
Much of this recent success has been based on Redknapp’s ability to motivate his leading performers. He has seen Luka Modric cement his place as one of the finest midfield players in Europe, Aaron Lennon is finally producing on a more consistent basis and Ledley King is even playing regular(ish) football. When you add players such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Rafael van der Vaart and Scott Parker into the equation it is clear to see why they are finally performing to the level they are.
Indeed, the later of those three new players has been instrumental in their form this season and could be a potential PFA Player of the Year if his form continues. Although Parker was much maligned after an unsuccessful spell at Chelsea, he rediscovered his best form at West Ham last year and has continued it at his new club. To have Parker and Sandro protecting the Tottenham defence has enabled their flair players to concentrate on what they do best. All the top sides in the world have a player in that position who can break up play and then start a counter offensive and Parker is one of the best in the league at this moment in time.
The defining factor for Spurs however this season has been their creative outlets. In a season where many of the top clubs are struggling with inspiration the north London club has been blessed with Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, Luka Modric and Van der Vaart. Having this assortment of creative talent, aided by the loan signing of Adebayor, has seen Spurs score 35 goals in their opening 18 league games.
One of the side’s biggest stumbling blocks in the past was beating the sides in the lower reaches of the league which they have rectified this season. After the two disappointing defeats against both the Manchester sides at the start of the season the side went on a winning run that saw them beat Arsenal and Liverpool and get a draw against Chelsea.
Whilst there is no doubt improvements still need to be made, Spur’s attacking instincts should be rightly praised thus far. When you consider that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have all struggled for consistent attacking play it is even more impressive. They face a testing final five months of the season but are in a great place to guarantee the club Champions League football once again.
Photo courtesy of topcornertekkers.
