3 reasons why Tottenham Hotspur could be title contenders this season

#1 Close Encounters

It was a season of 'almost there' for Tottenham Hotspur

Last season, Spurs registered the third most wins after Manchester City and Liverpool, they scored the fourth most goals, were among the top 5 defences, and among the top 5 shot takers in the league.

Its easy to forget that at the start of February 2019, Spurs were trailing both City and Liverpool by 5 points with a game in hand over City and matches against both still on their fixture list. A run of winless games (4 losses and a draw) spanning the tail end of February and the whole of March meant they were then lumped with the masses and the title quest had become a two-horse race.

Slips are a more memorable way of fumbling a title challenge but Spurs will be forgotten for taking the non-glamorous route. They lost winnable games as they seemed fatigued and unable to cope with the energy of other teams. A knock on effect of playing so many games punctuatued by short, inadequate breaks meant that Spurs' small squad was pushed to its limits and came up short.

A thin squad to challenge for the title and progress in Europe seemed like too much of an ask for Pochettino's squad. They have since built once again and the finished product of this season may yet close the gap that they couldn't bridge last season.