Tottenham, Champions League finalists from last season and tenants of the most technologically advanced stadium in the country look well placed to challenge for the league title over the next few seasons. However, in 2019 they have been worryingly let down by one part of their game, their shoddy record on the road.
Amazingly, Spurs have failed to beat a current Premier League side across all competitions away from home in 2019.
Their last away win against a current Premier League side came before Christmas last year, as they hit Everton for six on December 23, but since then it has not been pretty viewing for the Spurs fans following their side on the road.
Their two away Premier League wins of 2019 came in their opening two games of the calendar year against Cardiff and Fulham, but with both of those sides being relegated at the end of the season, the run against current top-flight sides stretches back all the way to that Everton game, nine months ago.
A run of horrendous results on the road began in late January as Chelsea got the better of them in the League Cup semi-final after a penalty shootout. Crystal Palace then beat them in the FA Cup before defeats at Burnley and Chelsea in the Premier League.
Of course, things haven’t been all bad for Spurs fans on the road as last season they enjoyed their finest performance in European competition for three decades. A win against Borussia Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion secured their place in the last eight and a 4-3 defeat against Man City at the Etihad was enough to take them through on away goals, but it was still a loss to a Premier League side.
That City defeat was preceded by two more away defeats against Southampton and Liverpool and followed up by two more league defeats on the road, one at the Etihad three days after the Champions League game and another south coast defeat to Bournemouth.
That run of defeats made it nine consecutive away losses to Premier League sides and this is a run without a win that has continued into this campaign, albeit in slightly different circumstances.
Things have slightly improved this term and remaining undefeated from two tough away games at Manchester City and Arsenal is certainly a positive for Spurs, although they will feel they should have won the North London derby on Arsenal’s patch, having been 2-0 up at one stage.
So we head into the weekend where Mauricio Pochettino’s men will travel to the King Power to face a Leicester side who are incredibly strong at home. Brendan Rodgers’ side have only lost one game at home since the Northern Irishman arrived and that was a surprise defeat to Newcastle, but the Foxes are certainly stronger in front of their own fans.
If Tottenham fail to pick up all three points here, then their run without an away win against current Premier League opposition will stretch to ten months. For a side apparently harbouring ambitions to win the title over the next few years this is a clear area they are currently falling short in, in comparison to their title rivals.
Manchester City and Liverpool lost a combined total of four Premier League away games last season, the same amount that Tottenham lost in the last two months of the campaign alone. Pochettino’s men may be thriving in their brand new stadium, but they must improve on the road if they are to seriously challenge the top two this season.
