2) Tottenham Hotspur: 2nd in Premier League
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Prior to Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival at White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur were the eternal bridesmaids when it came to qualifying for the Champions League. They were always pushed out of the way in one way or another but have now found some consistency in their performances to make the top four.
Playing in Europe has pretty much been Arsenal’s birthright in the last two decades but Spurs could be the lone north London team to compete in the Champions League next season. The Lilywhites are currently second in the Premier League and could even reel in Chelsea if results go their way.
An FA Cup semi-final loss to the Blues ensured one trophy would not be heading to the Lane but Pochettino can now focus on the league with the squad he has shaped and nurtured over the past two seasons.
Leading the line is Harry Kane (23) who has now scored at least 20 goals in three consecutive Premier League seasons to put him in the same league as Alan shearer, Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy. After initially benching stars such as Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor two seasons ago, Kane is now top dog at Spurs.
His partner-in-crime Dele Alli (21) recently picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year award for the second year running and many were of the firm opinion that he deserved to be nominated for the Player of the Year award too for his 16 goals and five assists this season.
Eric Dier (23) is also Pochettino’s trump card and he plays him either in defence or midfield depending on whether the Argentine manager plays a three-man defence or the standard four at the back.
With Christian Eriksen (25) and Son Heung-Min (24) also yet to really hit their peak and defenders in their mid-to-late 20s, this Spurs squad has a core of players that can accomplish great things if they stick together for the foreseeable future. The oldest player in their best XI is goalkeeper Hugo Lloris who is only 30 years old.
The only complaint one can have is their performances in Europe. In spite of working so hard to qualify for Europe, they have failed in the Champions League and Europa League as they re-prioritise qualifying for Europe rather than competing in Europe in the second half of the season.
