Forget about a top four finish, Tottenham are targeting top spot

If at the start of the season; you’d have told me that after 25 games: Spurs would be second in the league; ahead of rivals Arsenal on goal difference and with the best goal difference in the league (and by some considerable distance as well, five better off than second best Manchester City) and Tottenham have the best defence in the league, I would have thought you were an absolute maniac!

If you’d have then told me that Leicester City would be five points clear of us at the top of the league, I’d have probably recommended you go and see a doctor…

It has been a crazy season. Anything can still happen, and all we can do is keep winning our games. The players are playing with a real belief. It is a joy to watch.

[Mauricio] Pochettino has stated that the players themselves have started to believe they can win the league, “You can see in their eyes, the feeling, the energy, that they believe,” and why not? Keep playing the way we are playing and who knows.

Saturday’s 1-0 win over Watford saw Tottenham climb into the Premier League’s runners-up spot.

Before the Watford game; I think I’d have taken fourth, had you offered it to me then. No-one; myself included, gave us a chance of finishing in the top four this season. Granted; there is still a long way to go, but after seeing our performance against Watford, I believe we can go higher. It was mesmerising at times, and if you were to offer me fourth now, I think I’d hold out.

We have so much strength in depth at the moment, and although we don’t have any world-class players, we have a real team spirit. I’ve said it before, but it is very reminiscent of the Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund sides that won their leagues unexpectedly.

The emergence of players like Dele Alli and Eric Dier and the re-discovered brilliance of Mousa Dembele has been a massive boost and I fully expect us to push on towards the end of the season now.

But in terms of actually winning the league? We’ve definitely got a shout, but someone is going to have to stop Leicester for that to happen.

We threw away our chance when we fell to a 1-0 defeat at White Hart Lane back in January, in a game we never deserved to lose. It was a real sucker punch considering we dominated the game, and 99 times out of 100, we would play that game exactly the same and win.

I thought Leicester were bang average to be honest. But to then see what they did against Liverpool and Man City, I have to admit they are the real deal.

For us then to make them look average is even more of a testament to the fine season we are having. Coming up is a huge weekend, which has all the potential to be a season defining one. Leicester travel to the Emirates and we travel to City. Two massive showdowns.

If both London sides win, it blows the title race wide open. I believe we can go to City and get a result; and as for Arsenal, this may be the first-time ever, where I think I’ve actually wanted them to win. Maybe…

COYS