The English Premier League is becoming predictable and boring, that’s according to critics. The world’s best-loved and most-watched club soccer tournament boasts the most famous teams and talented players. But Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City has won each of the last three seasons and are favorites to make it four on the bounce.
Following their Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League treble last term, City enjoy the backing of traders working at the best betting sites online. They believe four-in-a-row is a foregone conclusion, but the EPL rarely follows a script. Fans love its unpredictable nature, high-scoring games, and shock results. Premier League purists hope at least one team can crank up the pressure on the English and European champions, with Arsenal and Liverpool the most likely challengers.
In recent seasons, the Reds and the Gunners have finished as runners-up to Man City. The Gunners led for much of the previous campaign before stumbling down the home straight before being reeled in by the Cityzens. Liverpool won the title in 2020 but has yet to match that effort. Some fans believe the time is right for a former challenger to re-emerge from the shadows. But which team has what it takes to deny Pep’s all-conquering stars?
Spurs are back in business
Newcastle United and West Ham United were popular in pre-season predictions. Fans of an upset looked to the Magpies and Hammers to provide a dark horse worth following. The first eight games of the EPL season saw an underdog lead the league table, but it wasn’t the team most expected. Tottenham Hotspur had endured a torrid off-season, losing their manager and then leading goalscorer Harry Kane.
The England striker moved to Bayern Munich, seemingly tired of waiting for Spurs to challenge for silverware. But Kane was too hasty when packing his bags and may wish he hung around for another season. That’s because, under new manager Ange Postecoglou, Kane’s previous employers are in the running to be champions of English soccer. They began the season in style and look every inch like a team capable of challenging and even dethroning long-term rulers Man City.
The pundits rave about the Postecoglou impact and how the Australian manager has the Londoners playing fearless, attractive, and effective soccer. They hit pole position in the league earlier this month, and they’ll take some shifting. Will Tottenham deny Man City four in a row? Keep reading as we bring you up to speed on how Spurs have started the Postecoglou era.
Fans were unconvinced
When Tottenham Hotspur appointed Postecoglou to lead the London club into a new dawn, fans were less than impressed. Despite the former Australian national team boss winning five trophies from six in Glasgow, including a treble for Celtic before heading to the capital, many supporters wanted a bigger name. They believed the club was too big to delve into the Scottish soccer market, regardless of Ange’s success north of the border.
Things went from bad to worse for Ange in the early days of his Tottenham career as he saw star striker Kane depart for Germany. Any manager with success in soccer would struggle with losing Kane, but Postecoglou kept his head down and built an attack ready for life after Harry. He gave the Spurs squad a fresh look, assuring everyone in the dressing room a clean slate and an opportunity to rebuild their careers in North London.
The best way to win over fans is to win soccer games, which was Postecoglou’s approach. The Australian knew he had to work hard to impress supporters, but it was nothing new to the gaffer, who had worked under similar circumstances in Glasgow a few seasons earlier. Few at the Hoops knew Ange or trusted him to bring the club success, but he progressed to become one of Celtic’s most successful managers.
Sticky start
When the season finally began, Spurs didn’t make the kind of start Ange had planned all summer. They played Brentford in their opening league game and drew 2-2 on the road. It was a game Spurs had chances to win, but an over-excited defense cost them three points. A trip across the city wasn’t the easiest opening fixture, but Spurs banked a draw and have gone from strength to strength since.
In a frantic opening 45 minutes, followers saw four goals, with Romero and Emerson Royal netting for Spurs. The Bees matched their opponents, scoring through Mbeumo and Wissa to avoid defeat at home. It was not the winning start Postecoglou and his backroom staff had planned for, but that point proved a solid foundation on which to launch their challenge.
In August, Tottenham beat Man Utd and Bournemouth in the EPL and eliminated Fulham from the EFL Cup.
September brings consistency
Tottenham played four games in September when the team hit its stride. They beat Burnley 5-2 on the road, Sheffield United 2-1 in London, drew 2-2 at the Emirates, and finished with a 2-1 home win over Liverpool. The latter was controversial, but it didn’t matter to Spurs fans, who are now fully behind their boss.
A four-goal draw at Arsenal in the North London derby was another sign the team is moving in the right direction. But the win over Liverpool was the season’s highlight, with goals from Son and a Matip OG beating a strike from Gakpo. The beaten team that day finished with nine men after red cards for Jones and Jota.
October opens with a win
Spurs started October in stunning fashion, beating Luton Town 1-0 on the road despite playing the second half with ten men after Bissouma received two yellow cards. A goal from van de Ven on 52 minutes gave Spurs a hard-fought lead, and they managed to hold onto that slender advantage.
That narrow win over the Hatters meant Spurs finished the opening weekend of October sitting on top of the league. Six wins and two draws from their first eight games meant they are one of only a few unbeaten teams in the top flight.