Tottenham missing Kane and big opportunities

What a difference two points can make. Had Tottenham won on Saturday lunchtime they would be sitting top of the Premier League table but as it stands they are currently in fifth, such are the right margins at the top right now.

That draw with Bournemouth was an opportunity missed as without question Tottenham miss their talismanic forward Harry Kane. It’s now three draws on a row across all competitions as Tottenham stutter into the second quarter of the season.

Spurs fans would have feared the worst when Harry Kane was stetchered off late on in the club’s win over Sunderland and although Heung-min Son’s purple patch of form has lessened the striking burden somewhat it’s fair to say that the initial concern over Kane’s injury has come home to roost over these last three games.

Now you could add the caveat that all these three games have been on the road and during that period the only time Hugo Lloris has seen his net breached was when former teammate Nacer Chadli scored for West Brom but that argument has to be counterbalanced with the fact that Mauricio Pochettino’s men have dropped 4 points in what is already shaping up to be a very tight race for the title.

Ultimately that is the difference between a side that lifts the trophy come May and one that has to make do with the consolation of Champions League football, the difference between winning on the road and squeezing out those extra points rather than being held to frustrating draws will more often than not have a bearing on where the title will end up.

To a degree it is what cost Tottenham last season, forget their April implosion that finally saw them finish third it was more the fact that they drew too many games at the start of the campaign and left themselves too much work to do. Once again Pochettino’s side are in the midst of an impressive unbeaten run but again it’s draws rather than wins for the white half of North London.

If course this side shouldn’t come in for too much criticism as just a solitary point covers the top five but after the win over Manchester City before the international break many felt this was the opportunity to then kick on and throw down a marker to their nearest title rivals but unfortunately tragedy has not been the case

When it comes to fortune perhaps Tottenham have had some because City have failed to punish them due to the fact that they have also failed to win since that defeat say White Hart Lane but all that has meant is the top of the table has become a much more congested place and it’s Tottenham who have been the biggest losers.

Tottenham as a club have been incredibly lucky on the injury front when it comes to Harry Kane. The fact that when they only had one recognised striker he was never out injured without question have them a huge advantage over their nearest rivals as a constantly for Kane was almost the equivalent of a goal head start.

But Kane is not invincible and they say they have an been dreading finally came against Sunderland but at least the club now have reinforcements in the form of Vincent Janssen. The only thing is that his form hasn’t quite been at the required level for full the shoes of Harry Kane.

Obviously that his going to be a big ask for anyone especially one who is settling in to a tougher league but the fact that Janssen is get to find the net at Premier League level will certainly make for stark reading. There’s no faulty the Dutchman’s effort and workrate but that inaugural league goal still eludes him.

Tottenham have a tough run of fixtures coming up and with the North London Derby next Sunday there would be no better time for Kane to not only return but to find the net. This man seems to have a special affinity with this particular  game, scoring 4 in the last two seasons and Arsenal fans will be hoping that his return is delayed for at least another week.

The hope for Tottenham fans and Mauricio Pochettino for that matter is that Tottenham don’t give too much ground away to the four teams above them, while also hoping Kane’s absence is not a prolonged one. The next couple of weeks should tell us if they can stay in the mix or whether they will begin to lose ground on the chasing pack.

 

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