The last Premier League game before Christmas sees Tottenham travel to Burnley, and it’s a game Spurs have to win by a considerable margin. Here’s why:
The current Premier League table sees Burnley sit in sixth place on 32 points, one point ahead of Tottenham who are in seventh. Sure, Spurs have a +13 goal difference whilst Burnley’s is just +4, but the table doesn’t lie.
It’s not just that Tottenham are currently bottom of a distinct “top seven” (how must Everton be feeling right now?) but that it’s Burnley who are above them. Burnley.
The Clarets fully deserve to be there, too. There’s has not been a run of flukes or luck, but they have gotten where they are through defensive organisation and hard work.
Shaun Dyche has suffered the loss of his best defender, Michael Keane, and only made his team better. The ease and assurance with which they play and their confidence in Dyche’s tactics (the merits of said tactics are not up for debate here) are so impressive.
But whilst Burnley are deservedly sixth, overall they’re not as good a side as Tottenham. That’s just the truth of things. Spurs are a team with incredible potential for growth, yet shorn of their fortress home stadium White Hart Lane, they haven’t quite kept up the pace at the top of the Premier League table – losing all clashes with those above them, save Liverpool who they smashed themselves.
Their latest such defeat came in the last gameweek when Manchester City tore them to pieces. It must have been a frustrating feeling for Mauricio Pochettino, whose side have been arguably the best in the country for the two previous seasons yet failing to win the title on either occasion.
Then City smash them and now they’re below Burnley? That’s not good.
Obviously, Tottenham need a win. And they might get that win too. Burnley are a supreme home side, winning 5 of 9 games, losing just twice – once on the opening day and once to Arsenal.
That Arsenal, comfortably the best side to visit Turf Moor this season, were the only victors once Burnley had hit their stride should give Tottenham confidence that, being a big side, they have enough quality to beat the Clarets.
But victory alone, beating Burnley 0-1 or 0-2, isn’t enough. Sure, that’s good and would take Tottenham above the Clarets, but it’s not enough. People would still look at Spurs and not feel fear, and that’s something Mauricio Pochettino needs to start happening; teams must fear Spurs.
Tottenham need to blow Burnley to bits to restore the confidence of the players that they can do anything; and inflicting the heaviest league defeat Turf Moor has seen since 2010 when Liverpool and Manchester City scored 4 and 6 there respectively (no one has beaten Burnley at home by two clear goals since) would be exactly the right move. That’ll get people worried again.
Tottenham need to thrash Burnley, they need to show their quality on and individual and collective level and rip their overachieving underdog to shreds. They need to reassert themselves and remind everyone that Spurs are to be taken seriously.
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