Thursday night has changed everything.
Before the match at the King Power stadium, I’d have put Spurs down for a narrow 2-1 win, or a marginally more comfortable 2-0. But I was expecting much more from Leicester. Hull are relegated. We know what they’re capable of, and that’s much less than what Leicester can do, who won the title last season. But that was a serious battering on Thursday. It wasn’t a contest.
Spurs have only conceded 2 goals to Hull in their last 6 Premier League meetings and ever since Hull drew at St Mary’s, they’ve been nothing short of atrocious. They lost at home to the team bottom of the league. Then they got battered by Big Sam’s Crystal Palace 4-0. They haven’t even scored a goal since the 22nd of April. That’s almost exactly a month without finding the net. Do we really think they’re going to end that drought against the best defence in England?
Since the sour result at West Ham, Tottenham have been firing on all cylinders. We beat United in the last game at the Lane and then romped to victory in the Midlands against Leicester. We looked like we never wanted to taste defeat again. Now, granted, these two sides were ‘on the beach’ as a certain Frenchman would say, but Hull will want to put an end to their horrible form. They’re arguably the worst team in the league right now, and in this, their last home game of their entire miserable Premier League campaign, they’ll want to perhaps right a few wrongs.
That said, I still can’t see anything but a walk in the park for Spurs. We’ll show up, dictate the football, get Harry his Golden Boot and then swiftly be on our way to immediately start preparations for next season’s title race. Hull won’t even be able to field their strongest team. They have a plethora of injuries to concern themselves with. Some that have arguably massively contributed to their eventual relegation. They’ll be without Abel Hernandez, Lazar Markovic, David Meyler, Ryan Mason, Will Keane, Moses Odubajo and Harry Maguire.
By comparison, Spurs have just Kyle Walker to worry about, who looks set to miss out through the same ankle problem that saw him left out of the squad on Thursday. Lloris has been rumoured to be doubtful, though Kieran Trippier expects to return at right-back. Harry Winks, Erik Lamela and Danny Rose are, of course, still long-term absentees.
Leicester were plagued by injuries when we met, but even their full team would have been out of their depth given the mood Spurs were in. Sometimes a game just three days later is good in these circumstances. Tottenham have a real momentum at the moment and I don’t think Kane, Son or Alli are satisfied to settle with the current 20+ goal hauls they’ve managed this season. These Spurs players are hungry and they are heading for a feast on Sunday.
I predict Hull City 0-4 Tottenham Hotspur. Not as many as last time, but a romp nonetheless. Kane, Alli and Son all on the score-sheet.
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