Champions? Or Chokers?

Leicester City have been praised for their staying power and consistency this season, but as many a fan of both Spurs and Leicester will state, a Premier League title is not won in March. Pundits, journalists and fans alike are trying to second guess each tactical move and how the title challenging teams will approach each of the remaining seven league fixtures.

This article is not to make predictions but to state that, with points aside, Tottenham will have had to work harder than Leicester City to achieve their final Premier League position. This is for three main reasons.

Firstly, the amount of derby fixtures Tottenham Hotspur have to compete in every season, with games against Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham to contend with, alongside the hugely media boosted fixtures against the likes of Manchester City and United. These fixtures tend to put form aside and results come down to sheer will and determination. Recently West Ham United played their most intense and aggregative football in a home one nil win against Tottenham. It would be incorrect to suggest Leicester City have many teams, if any that raise their game because they consider them a rival.

Secondly, the stature of a club allows smaller teams to go without huge pressure for large parts of the season, or even years at a time. A team like Tottenham, and their fierce rivals Arsenal are both constantly under the pressure from both board and fans to achieve great things. Alternatively, this has allowed Leicester to remain relatively pressure free up until this point. Things have changed because the Midlands club now are legitimately, and deservedly 7 games away from winning the Premier League, they are under pressure to not let it slip. Can they keep a cool head and win their remaining fixtures? Only time will tell.

Lastly, in recent weeks a number of ex-pro’s, and current managers have said how they would love to see Leicester win the title. It would be naive to suggest this doesn’t have an affect on Leicester’s players or their opposing teams. In comparison, Tottenham seem to have assumed the role of the pantomime villain, the team that can ruin the Leicester City fairytale, which will only see teams even more desperate to defeat a young, improving side that has had such a fantastic season.

To conclude, my reasoning does not excuse Tottenham Hotspur should they dramatically falter in the remaining weeks of the season, it is simply stating how location, club stature and media input can affect a clubs chances of success.