The Title Race - Can Spurs catch champions elect Chelsea?

Since Liverpool's January from hell it has been common knowledge that Chelsea have been odds on to be crowned Premier League champions this upcoming May. With Hazard finding his best form again, Kante proving to be the signing of the season for the second year running and a defensive unit looking unbreakable at times the title has been Chelsea's to lose. Coming into April Chelsea had a comfortable 11 point advantage over closest challengers Spurs and looked to be strolling to the title. 16 days later however the title race could be back on. After a 2-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace and a convincing 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford against Manchester United, lead by former manager Jose Mourinho, Mauricio Pochettinio's Spurs side are breathing down the neck of the league leaders. Suffering only one defeat in their last 17 league games it looks like the side from White Hart Lane will not only finally finish ahead of North London rivals Arsenal but their form could be causing Chelsea to have to look over their shoulder.

One thing Chelsea can be happy about is their remaining league games. Minus a tricky away trip to Goodison Park and the home of the league's top scorer Lukaku, Chelsea's run in shouldn't be causing fans to cash out on their bets to win the title too soon. When compared to the run in for Spurs, who have still got the North London derby against Arsenal to play as well as an away trip to the champions Leicester City and welcoming Manchester United to White Hart Lane, Chelsea can rest easy knowing the fixtures have been much more kind to them. However this run of games won't faze Spurs, who have hit such a rich vain of form they will feel like they can take on anyone. With Harry Kane once again hitting over 20 goals this season and Dele Ali continuing to prove he is one of the stand out young talents in Europe, they have more than enough fire power to cause problems for anyone going forward. And then when you look at the defence you realise how well built this side is. Spurs have the best defensive record in the league, conceding only 22 goals so far this term, 5 less then Chelsea, and even if their defence is ever found wanting, with Hugo Lloris between the sticks a goal is never a guarantee. 

Coming off the back of their second defeat in four games against Jose's United side, Conte and his team will be hoping none of their upcoming opponents were watching the way Ander Herrera man marked Eden Hazard out of the game. The Belgian attacker has been on fire this season, with 14 goals and 5 assists in the league this season he really has rediscovered his PFA Player of the Season winning form from two years ago. However on Sunday he didn't get a sniff, with the Spanish midfielder Herrera keeping him well and truly in his back pocket throughout. This method of man marking the tricky winger is one we haven't really seen adopted this season by many sides and possibly Jose's tactics this weekend could convince a few of the sides in Chelsea's run in to attempt a similar system to nullify the number 10.

Diego Costa is another big name who had re-found his form from Chelsea's title winning side of two years ago and he came flying out the blocks this season with 5 goals in his first 5 Premier League games this season. However before Chelsea started to stutter in recent weeks, the Brazilian born Spanish national team striker, has looked a lot closer to the man who was only a shadow of his former self last season. With no goals in his last 6 league games on only four in the entirety of 2017 so far, that is not the form of a striker leading his side to a league title. One of Costa's main criticisms has always been his temper and his tendency to get involved physically with opposing defenders. This vice was ever present lasts season and it seems to have reared it's head again during this poor run of form. With four yellow cards since his last league goal, the striker has been more of a danger then a help for the side lead by Antonio Conte. When compared to the talisman for challengers Spurs, in Harry Kane, Costa really is struggling. Kane has scored 12 league goals so far in 2017, triple what Costa has hit and that is with the English striker missing several games with an ankles injury. Harry Kane has scored more than 20 goals for the third successive season, becoming only the fourth player in the Premier League era to do so and the Englishman really is firing his side back in contention for the title. 

The FA Cup has undergone a rejuvenation this season and the semi finals are coming up, where the top two sides in the Premier League will meet at Wembley for a spot in the final. With Chelsea vs Spurs in the FA Cup being the first game for Chelsea since their humbling against United, should they now lose to their closest rivals who knows what damage that will cause mentally to Conte's men and on the flip side, the confidence coming from a potential win against the side their trying to catch in the race for the title could be huge for Tottenham and could be the final push needed to secure maximum point from their final 6 league games. 

A month ago the title race was all but over, and most people had declared Chelsea champions, including me. However if we have learnt nothing else from the Premier League over the years, it's never over until the final whistle is blown. Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle United and a host of other sides have all been guilty of throwing away the title when they looked all but guaranteed to win it. Could Chelsea be the next? The current leaders had looked so well drilled and professional coming into the final stretch of the season anyone else being crowned champions had been written off, however with only four points separating the two sides at the top, the Premier League trophy could still have a new first time home in the form of White Hart Lane.