Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have performed exceptionally well in 2018.
Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are the two standout teams since the turn of the New Year, and both have plenty of reason for optimism going forward.
The following Opta table show hows no team has achieved more points than Spurs since the New Year, while Newcastle have defied their relegation-threatened tag with European-type form.
| Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tottenham | 12 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 25 | 7 | 30 |
| Man Utd | 11 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 9 | 27 |
| Liverpool | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 27 | 11 | 26 |
| Man City | 11 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 12 | 25 |
| Newcastle | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 11 | 19 |
| Bournemouth | 12 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 21 | 21 | 18 |
| Arsenal | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 17 | 16 |
| Leicester | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 13 | 16 |
| Swansea | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 16 |
| West Ham | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 18 | 20 | 16 |
| Burnley | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 11 | 15 |
| Everton | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 21 | 14 |
| Brighton | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 13 |
| C. Palace | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 15 | 20 | 12 |
| Chelsea | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 17 | 12 |
| Watford | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 22 | 12 |
| Huddersfield | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 22 | 8 |
| Southampton | 11 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 8 |
| Stoke | 12 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 7 |
| West Brom | 12 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 24 | 5 |
Tottenham may have suffered the disappointment of crashing out of the Champions League at home to Juventus, yet on the domestic front they’ve been on top of their game.
Tottenham are unbeaten in the Premier League since their 4-1 defeat at Manchester City in December, and over the past six weeks they have beaten fellow top four rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United in convincing fashion.
With such a young squad and plenty of potential, there’s no reason why Tottenham can’t put up a closer title challenge next season, and Champions League football will go down a treat in their new stadium.
A top four spot looks all-but assured this term, and Tottenham could still top off another excellent domestic campaign with an FA Cup win. Fellow semi-finalists Manchester United stand in their way of a place in the final.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola looks a solid bet for Manager of the Year, yet Newcastle United’s Rafa Benitez should also be in contention considering the fabulous job he’s done at St. James’ Park.
Most believe that Newcastle have what you could consider a decent Championship squad, yet three consecutive Premier League victories have all-but assured their survival for another season. Newcastle are currently sees them in the top ten.
Since New Year’s Day, only four Premier League teams have picked up more points than Newcastle, and on current form Benitez’s side would be challenging for a European spot over a 38-game season.
While Newcastle still struggle for goals, defensively they are extremely well set-up. Only two defeats in their last 11 games illustrates the never-say-die attitude the team adopts under the former Liverpool boss.
Both Tottenham and Newcastle have room for further improvement, and an astute acquisition here and there could see the clubs kick-on again over the course of next season.
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