Spurs and Son shine against Watford
Tottenham far from their best but hard-fought win shows their hunger for title
WATFORD 1
(Odion Ighalo 41)
TOTTENHAM 2
(Erik Lamela 17, Son Heung Min 90)
Tottenham Hotspur's fortune continue to conjure a colloquialism all of its own.
In an English Premier League season where its potential title candidates have continued to fall short, they are now offering a revised definition of the term "Spursy".
It was as much a term of summarisation as it was a point of ridicule.
But, where it once described a consistent failure in living up to expectations, it has belatedly become more evocative of their long-standing mantra - "To dare is to do" - as they continue to tick along at a steady pace with another under-the-radar victory.
Their time of living in the shadows, however, is finally coming to an end.
Mauricio Pochettino's continued championing of Spurs' inclusion in the EPL title race finally carries conviction.
London's perennial underdogs have broken into the top three and have begun to show why they are dark horses while their closest rivals continue to lose ground.
This is now a Tottenham team possessing both conviction and bite - typified as they eked out a smash-and-grab win over high-flying neighbours Watford last night.
Pochettino has succeeded where his predecessors have been guilty of "Spursy" traits.
He remained unfazed by the prospect of overhauling a squad which saw off nine of their senior players in the summer, having recorded a credible fifth-placed finish last season.
Developing the spine of his team has seen the likes of Harry Kane, whose free-scoring antics have aided their ascent, and Dele Alli has been key to accelerating their growth.
MENACE
Though Kane failed to cap off 2015 with a landmark 30th goal in the calendar year, the England international's presence was a menace to Watford's defence, allowing Erik Lamela to open the scoring with relative ease as he breezed through in the 17th minute.
Lamela, too, has been a revelation since he was derided as a costly excess in the grand scheme of the spending spree which followed Gareth Bale's record-breaking move to Real Madrid.
Without their homegrown talisman, Spurs were expected to fade back into the middle distance.
Pochettino's faith in his compatriot has seen the Argentinian assume an elevated level of importance.
He may not record a more comfortable strike than his third goal of the season, which exceeded his overall tally of just two for the entire of the previous campaign.
There will be tougher tests than Quique Sanchez Flores' surprise packages when Tottenham's EPL campaign resumes at the beginning of next year, particularly with a trip to face a burgeoning Everton in five days' time.
With an impressive new stadium on the horizon, White Hart Lane finally has a team to match that forthcoming grandiose.
Pochettino has reaped the rewards of the excess that followed Bale's departure to Real over three seasons ago.
They may have never had it so good.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
