DON’T GET YOUR HOPES UP, TOTTENHAM

BLIP happens. That’s a fact. In any title chase, there will be a moment of uncertainty for the leaders and Chelsea may be about to have theirs now across five days of extremes. Crystal Palace and Manchester City are polar opposites: one resolute, the other breathlessly cavalier. Having been shut out by Palace on Saturday, Chelsea must now find a way of doing the same to the most ambitious team in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge tonight. The worst-case scenario for Antonio Conte is a lead cut to four points, if Chelsea lose and Tottenham win at Swansea. And, of course, we will all love it if that happens. What appeared to be a procession will become a race again. Even after Saturday’s Chelsea defeat, there were those anticipating the battle engaged. One newspaper presented a guide to the title run-in illustrated by images of Conte (right) looking traumatised and Mauricio Pochettino — to borrow a line from Blackadder the Third — as happy as a Frenchman who had just invented a pair of self-removing trousers. From the photographs, nobody would have imagined Conte had seven points on Pochettino, or appreciated the frequent insignificance of leaders’ blips. Leicester had two, last season. Even in a remarkably consistent run-in, they still contrived to drop five points in nine between February 14 and March 1, and four points in nine between April 17 and May 1. The year before, Chelsea drew three games in six between January 31 and March 15, all at home, against Manchester City, Burnley and Southampton. In 2013-14, Manchester City, already in third place, dropped seven points from 12 between March 29 and April 16, winning just one game of four — but still went on to win the league, as Liverpool imploded even more spectacularly. Manchester United clinched the 201213 title only after dropping four points from nine in April, and a year earlier Manchester City won a single game in five between March 11 and April 8. Manchester United’s 2010-11 champions lost to Wolves, Chelsea and Liverpool in a five-game spell between February 5 and March 6, and Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea Double winners won three games in seven between February 2 and March 21. Of recent champions, only Manchester United in 2008-09, winning 18 of their last 20 games, can be considered relatively blip-free — and even they lost back-to-back matches that March, to Liverpool and Fulham. The reason these stumbles are so often without consequence is that the teams nearby blip, too. At this stage last season, with 29 games gone, Tottenham were just five points behind Leicester. Between then, and securing the title, the chasing team played seven games and drew three of them. Arguably the most devastating draw of all was at home to West Brom, one of the teams who had taken a point off Leicester earlier. And who is this on Tottenham’s to-do list? Crystal Palace away, April 26. If the title race is still live, why should it be any easier for Pochettino’s side than it was for Chelsea? That is the problem. With nine games to go and goal difference too close to be relied upon, Tottenham probably need three weekends where they win and Chelsea lose to switch positions. Yet once Chelsea’s matches against the Manchester clubs — City tonight, United away on Easter Sunday — are over, they have the easier run-in. Tottenham still have to visit in-form Leicester and Crystal Palace, and play Manchester United and Arsenal at home. On the last day of the season when Chelsea are at home to Sunderland — surely a Championship club by then — Tottenham visit Hull, who may have all to play for. There are worse fixtures, but if three games can be found where Chelsea might falter, the same can be said of their rivals. Also, Tottenham have not sat well under pressure in recent seasons. Remember last year? ‘Leicester City, we’re coming for you,’ sang the fans. Leicester wait still. Each time Tottenham looked capable of testing Leicester’s nerve, their own failed first: at West Ham, at home to West Brom, and finally in the epic meltdown at Stamford Bridge. We are yet to see Pochettino’s team under the sustained pressure of a title challenge. Thriving in Chelsea’s slipstream is a very different matter. So, while tonight’s meeting of Chelsea and Manchester City is blip-worthy, there is even more riding on Tottenham’s visit to Swansea. It is Tottenham who cannot afford even the smallest misstep. Chelsea, like so many champions before them, can afford a blip. For Tottenham, blip means bust.