Dream over, but future is still bright
Micky Hazard has been wrong before, it has to be said. Four years have passed since he took Sportsmail down the Seven Sisters road in his black cab and declared a shift of power in north London.
The Tottenham of Gareth Bale were about to usurp arsenal, he claimed, but it did not quite work out that way. Bale left for real Madrid without ever finishing above the neighbours.
Last night, former Spurs midfielder Hazard was out on the pitch, telling home fans again what they longed to hear.
‘That Eden Hazard . . . ’ Hazard joked. ‘He’s no member of my family.’
Eden Hazard had caused a stir on Saturday by claiming he’d prefer Leicester to win the title, which would have attracted less attention if chelsea did not have both Leicester and Tottenham to play. Micky’s gag went down well. it was half-time, Spurs were one up, in control and their fans were deliriously free of the tension. Then he delivered his prediction: Leicester, according to Hazard, would lose their final three games while Tottenham would take seven points from theirs.
again, from the steep stands, they roared their approval. Those of us who, way back in august, foretold Leicester would be relegated understood the perils of predictions this season. Forty-five minutes later, White Hart Lane descended into a numbed silence.
Suddenly there was a different complexion. Two points had been dropped, Eric dier was hurt and dele alli will face an investigation into what seemed to be a punch into the stomach of claudio yacob.
all they had to cling to as they filed into the streets of N17 was Hazard’s wishful prediction. Seven points will be enough if Leicester lose their final three games but claudio ranieri’s team have only lost three so far. They have become expert at grinding out precisely the kind of game Spurs allowed to slip last night.
Next up for Tottenham are chelsea away, where they have not won since 1990 and where Eden Hazard wants Leicester to win it.
Until this point, Spurs were revelling in the thrill of this chase. at Stoke last week it was Harry kane having fun with his pride of lions prowling around on social media.
Last night at White Hart Lane, it was the Fugees: ‘ready or not here i come you can’t hide, gonna find you . . . ’ mashed up with the usual pre-match hype about glory-glory and daring-to-do.
West Bromwich albion, however, were determined to provide a sterner test than Stoke. Even when they went behind, they responded as only a Tony Pulis team can at this stage of the season with nothing to play for.
Pulis has taken to operating with a back four, all central defenders by trade, packed tightly across the width of the penalty box, flanked by two wing-backs. it is effectively a back six, protected by the human flashpoint that is yacob, deep in midfield.
From this solid base, albion sat deep and squeezed the space, tried to break quickly every so often and leaned heavily on their set-pieces.
Half an hour ticked by and the anxious silences were becoming a little longer and heavier. When craig dawson scored his first of the night, somehow squirting the ball past his own goalkeeper with a chest-trap in close company with Jan Vertonghen, the pressure was giddily released.
Social media was already feasting on a clip from earlier in the game of alli certainly slapping and quite possibly punching yacob in the stomach. yacob is an irritating presence, no question, but alli lost his composure. Was it this Jamie Vardy moment? Will it trigger a retrospective charge? Will it damage their hopes?
it was a reminder of the youth and inexperience in Pochettino’s team and here Micky Hazard may be closer to the truth.
‘They’re so exciting,’ said Hazard. ‘Why be nervous? Enjoy. it’s the beautiful game played with passion, desire and heart. This team have the potential to go on and become the greatest Spurs team ever.’ He’s been wrong before, it has to be said, but Spurs now cling to his prophecy.
Title or no title, Spurs have changed the game this season. They are going back into the champions League, at last set to finish above arsenal and with an exciting young team with a bright future.