The Premier League 2016-17 season was the 25th edition of the Premier League, the top division of the English championship since 1992. The season began on 13 August 2016 and ended on 21 May 2017. Tottenham Hotspur took part, coached by Mauricio Pochettino and captained by Hugo Lloris. Spurs finished second in the table, having played 38 games, earning 86 points, and losing the championship to Chelsea. The fight was really intense, allowing fans to make the most daring EPL predictions! Thus, this season has turned out to be Tottenham Hotspur’s best season ever, marking the highest point in the history of the Premier League.
Background Of Tottenham Hotspur Pre-2016
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club – one of the oldest clubs in England, founded in 1882 – has experienced different times. In the 1990s, despite winning the FA Cup 1991, it failed to succeed in the English championship. In the early 2000s, Tottenham began to regain its leading position. In 2008, Spurs won the Football League Cup, beating Chelsea, which became an important milestone on the road to revival. The turning point in Tottenham Hotspur history was the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as head coach in 2014. He managed to cope with the failures of Spurs previous seasons. Since 2014, the team has demonstrated bright and attacking football, which allowed it to perform at the top of the Premier League table. So in 2016/2017, it finished among the top three teams in the league.
Record-Breaking League Position
In February 2008, at Wembley Stadium, central defender Jonathan Woodgate headed in a free kick to bring Tottenham their last English Football League Cup to date. A year later, Spurs, who had a poor start to the championship and replaced Ramos with Redknapp, again broke through to the League Cup final. In April 2012, Tottenham and Chelsea met in the FA Cup semi-final for the first time at the new Wembley. The Blues won but started a great fight. In the 2016/2017 season, Chelsea and Spurs were on par. By the FA Cup semi-final match, it was already obvious that 2016/2017 was the Spurs best season ever – they had won 7 games in a row! Naturally, the fans were already expecting a long-awaited victory. Let’s look at the final statistics of the leaders.
Chelsea
Games: 38; Wins: 30; Draws: 3; Losses: 5; Total Points: 93
Tottenham Hotspur
Games: 38; Wins: 26; Draws: 8; Losses: 4; Total Points: 86
Manchester City
Games: 38; Wins: 23; Draws: 9; Losses: 6; Total Points: 78
Liverpool
Games: 38; Wins: 22; Draws: 10; Losses: 6; Total Points: 76
Arsenal
Games: 38; Wins: 23; Draws: 6; Losses: 9; Total Points: 75
Unfortunately, the Spurs did not reach the first line. However, thanks to Tottenham record points and their breakthrough, they secured 2nd place with 86 points, achieving their highest points in league history!
Offensive & Defensive Mastery
In the 2016/2017 season Spurs scored 86 goals, demonstrating emotional and assertive football. For instance, Chelsea preferred to act in a calm and measured mode, waiting for the opponent’s mistake. However, Tottenham wanted to fight and struggle in every part of the field. Therefore, many games were played with Spurs advantage – they furiously attacked the opponent and outplayed them on the all flanks. Therefore, the feat of 26 goals is truly impressive! This is thanks to the frantic offensive performance. It is worth noting that the Spurs also demonstrated defense, gave the initiative to the opponent, and brought the games to victory! For example, this happened on January 4 at London’s White Hart Lane with 31,491 spectators! It is worth noting that Pochettino’s team felt great during the Christmas period of 2017! They had already won their last four matches, three of them by a large margin. So, balanced Spurs offensive and defensive performance contributed to their Premier League 2016-17 success.
Harry Kane: The Standout Striker
Tottenham Hotspur 2016-2017 season became legendary and this is also largely due to the players, in particular Harry Kane. He is the all-time leading scorer for Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team, and the second-highest scorer in the Premier League. In the 2016/17 season, he helped Tottenham take second place in the Premier League, scoring a record 29 goals! He was also named the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year. Naturally, this season solidified his reputation. Kane scored the winner against Sunderland in the Premier League but twisted his right ankle while trying to take the ball away from Papy Djilobodja. It seems that Kane’s performance elevated the entire team. Having missed five league games and three in the Champions League group stage, Harry Kane top scorer returned on November 6 in a 1-1 draw with Arsenal, equalizing the score. On 22 November, he scored his first goal in the Champions League in the return match against Monaco (1:2) at the Stade Louis II.
Memorable Matches
Harry Kane ended Everton’s nine-game unbeaten streak! So, the main hero of the Tottenham vs. Everton 4-0 match was Harry Kane, who scored twice. In the first case, he made a cannon shot from outside the penalty area, which was a surprise for Joel Robles Blazquez, and then, in a counterattack, he converted a date with the goalkeeper, which was arranged for him by Dele Alli. This was one of the Key matches Tottenham! Thus, Mauricio Pochettino’s team advanced to the fourth round of the cup. In the match of the 20th round of the English Premier League – Spurs 5-2 Southampton – Harry Kane scored a hat-trick and set two records at once! He overtook Alan Shearer for the number of goals in the championship in a calendar year (38 vs 36). Besides, he set the best scoring result among footballers from the leading leagues in 2017, overtaking Messi (56 vs 54).
Mauricio Pochettino’s Tactical Genius
Mauricio Pochettino, the world’s strongest coach, focuses on tactical flexibility. He changed the team’s tactical system to 3-5-2, generated numerical superiority in midfield, and took advantage of the players’ mobility and speed. Moreover, he analyzes difficult moments and mistakes with the players in detail. Pochettino’s staff has a video department – the assistant coach gives detailed instructions, and the staff cuts the necessary videos during the matches. Pochettino shows players what exactly needs to be changed. Mauricio Pochettino tactics and the selection of versatile players and careful tactical preparation helped Pochettino to rebuild the lineup, scheme, and style for each opponent. This led to the Spurs best season ever to regain their leading positions.
The Legacy Of The 2016-2017 Season
Tottenham Hotspur legacy in 2016-2016 is hard to overestimate! Finally, Spurs have regained their leading positions. For fans, this marked the revival of their favorite team and the opportunity to make the most optimistic forecasts! With their aggressive football and careful tactical planning, Spurs have gained the upper hand even over Chelsea and Arsenal. After the end of the season, the club’s status changed to the Premier League impact leader.
Conclusion