Former Arsenal player says Spurs are already out of title race

Tottenham’s 4-0 thumping of Crystal Palace was just what the doctor ordered for the Lilywhites after a below-par start to the season.

With the club managing to win just one of their opening four Premier League games leading into the international break, there were even questions asked about a possible crisis (BBC 5 Live and Sky Sports).

Mauricio Pochettino’s men certainly put those ludicrous suggestions to bed with their dominant display against the Eagles on Saturday.

The result saw Spurs move up to the third spot in the table, seven points behind league leaders Liverpool who have enjoyed 100% record so far and two points behind Manchester City, who have also had a stuttering start by their standards.

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson was left impressed with Tottenham’s performance, particularly the way the never let the visitors settle.

However, the 51-year-old claimed that Spurs are already out of the title race as Liverpool are too far ahead.

In his column for Sky Sports, Merson wrote, “Tottenham made Crystal Palace look average. They are a team that have won away to all the big teams, but in the first 45 minutes, Spurs were back to the side we all know on Saturday, but for me, it’s already too late for them to catch Liverpool.

“Harry Winks is such a massive player for them, the way he gets the ball moving quickly. They’ve got the movement of Son, Kane and Lamela. They looked a proper team and as soon as the first whistle blew, they meant business.

“They rolled the ball back to the centre-half, they lumped it forward and Winks put it over the bar within 10 seconds. The fans didn’t have to wait. They took the game to Palace, and they didn’t know what day it was.”

Spurs Web Opinion

It is still very early in the season and to make sensational predictions on the back of a few games makes no sense. Most Tottenham fans expect to finish behind Liverpool and Manchester City anyway. However, if the team can build some momentum over the next few weeks, then anything is possible.

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