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Spurs can kill off Chelsea’s CL hopes with win at Hawthorns

Steve Towells

Dele and Harry back in business

A satisfying dose of karmic justice for Dele Alli and Harry Kane on Monday night, then.

As recent targets of some quite puzzling criticism, in which the two England stars have been shaken down for such heinous crimes as playing a video game and not laughing at some bad jokes on Twitter, it was nice to see the pair take decisive action.

Responding the only way they now how: with crucial, season-defining goals.

Indeed, the Watford game had a certain degree of banana skin potential looming over it. We discussed in the last edition what an unpredictable bunch the Hornets could be. A curiously talented group of players who just couldn’t seem to strike the right note with any consistency.

What luck it would’ve been to face Javi Gracia’s men the very instance they decide to get their act together. Doucouré, Richarlison, Deulofeu, Hughes. That’s the raw ingredients for a decent side there, even before you throw in the bullish, rough-hewn power of Troy Deeney and Andre Gray.

Spurs did well to get out of the fixture unscathed. A must-win game that—hey, guess what—they won.

Over to you, Chelsea.

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Getting the job done at the Hawthorns

Have West Brom given up yet? It would be very convenient for Spurs if they had. But nothing about Darren Moore’s impressive demeanor suggests it would be that simple. Moore carries himself like a man who wouldn’t accept defeat until the maths was certain. So we might as well gear up for a tough afternoon at the Hawthorns on Saturday, as Champions League finalists Liverpool were faced with last week. And United at Old Trafford the week before that.

West Brom know that a win for Spurs will relegate them. The motivation to avoid doing that in front of their own fans can’t be underestimated.

Team news: Winks return?

There’s the usual doubts over Danny Rose and Toby Alderweireld. The former has just about recovered from his groin injury and Toby, well, who could possibly guess? Mousa Dembele according to reliable sources will be assessed in the next 24 hours, having been classified with the ominous (knock) after Monday’s clash with Watford.

Elsewhere, Harry Winks could make a cameo appearance. Hoping perhaps to make a miraculous, last-ditch claim for a World Cup place in the summer. I’m sure at this stage, he’d settle for 90 minutes in a Spurs shirt before the season’s out.