Yeah alrighty then folks, seems we’ve got a title race on our hands after all. It was never a forgone conclusion, clearly, but most of the season it’s felt like Chelsea’s trophy to lose. Now all of a sudden they’ve dropped a couple games, Spurs are on a massive winning streak at the perfect time and the pressure is most certainly on.

Let’s start with the opening of the door. The first thing that needs to be said is that Chelsea are so much better than anyone had reason to think they’d be so soon into Antonio Conte’s reign. He was helped that he didn’t need to build a squad, he inherited a group of players that were pretty much the same side that won the league two seasons earlier, but they weren’t exactly playing like champions in Jose Mourinho’s last season there. To get them back to this level so soon is an incredible achievement, some of these guys are playing even better than they did back then and they’ve added N’Golo Kante too which seems to be a recommended course of action for teams trying to win titles. Guus Hiddink deserves credit for restoring the brightness to them, then Conte deserves the rest for instilling a drive and a ruthless competitive spirit among a team that looked emotionally broken only 12 months ago.

We don’t need to get into how he shaped them because that’s about the most reported on tactical trend of the whole season. What is worth a few words is a reminder that they didn’t start with their 3-4-3 shape - they began with a back four looking a fair bit less than convincing. Narrow wins over West Ham and Watford began their season then a big win over Burnley had them three from three but at that stage of the season it was Pep Guardiola’s Man City looking the dominant force (oh how times change). Then Chelsea drew with Swansea, lost to Liverpool and were smoked 3-0 by Arsenal. Again, oh how times change. In came the wingback formation and the Blues went and immediately won 13 Premier League games in a row.

What’s weird is that they really haven’t done a lot wrong lately. There was a defeat to Crystal Palace and the loss to Man United on the weekend and other than that just a couple draws with wins scattered everywhere else. The Blues have taken 15 points from the last available 21 yet their lead at the top has wilted down to four points. The reason for that shrinkage? Blame those pesky Spurs.

Because over those seven games of footy, Tottenham Hotspur have won every one of them. What’s more is that they’re doing it in fascinating fashion, attacking with speed and energy and scoring a bunch of goals. Whereas Chelsea have taken 15 points from their last seven matches with a goal difference of +5, Spurs have taken 21 points with a GD of +18. That’s flippin’ mental, that is.

Need it be said that their top scorer Harry Kane was out for a bunch of those matches too? No stumbling whatsoever. Dele Alli has been outstanding, Christian Eriksen is pulling strings, Son Heung-Min is a magician and that midfield don’t miss a beat whether it’s Mousa Dembele or Victor Wanyama or Eric Dier. The defence has always been top drawer and Spurs have even flashed a little bit of depth in their squad which has been a major weakness in the past. It still is a minor one, same goes for Chelsea who only have a couple of bench contributors that the manager is confident in using.

It’s now a sprint to the finish. Clearly the two best sides in the division and each with plenty of reason to believe they can get it done. Like, what the hell more do you want from a title race at this stage of the season!? Well, there are a few more tasty flavours to this so pour yourself something strong and settle in there, friend.

Such as a very blue and white theme to the PFA Team of the Season:

Back in early January it was Spurs that beat Chelsea, ending the win streak at 13 games and keeping the Blues from breaking Arsenal’s record of consecutive wins in a season from back in 2001-02 (a streak that stretches to 14 if you cross it over the next season too). Preserving a record of Arsenal’s isn’t the best way to look at that from a Spurs perspective but with Tottenham probably needing to win out (or something close to that) if they’re gonna overhaul those last four points then that means six more wins and if they do that it takes their current win streak to… 13 games. Well now. How do you like them apples?

The word when Spurs beat Chelsea was that they’d laid down the blueprint for everyone else. By pushing Dier back into the defence, Mauricio Pochettino set his lads up in a shape that mimicked what Chelsea were doing and as such they were able to fully neutralise them. It wasn’t a classic match but it was a classic performance, if that makes sense, and Dele Alli was able to score from Tottenham’s only two shots on target (Chelsea only had two as well).

Yet Chelsea struck straight back by smashing Leicester and Hull (not the toughest opponents back then in the season) and although they were held to 1-1 draws on the road to Liverpool (fair enough) and Burnley (eh…), they still reeled off eight games unbeaten on the other side of losing their win streak. A championship constitution right there. It’s only the loss to Palace, which was a combination of a strangely complacent Chelsea team and a desperate and powerful Palace side (Benteke’s strength + Zaha’s pace = problems), and then the defeat at Old Trafford that’s slowed them down.

But that defeat at Old Trafford, jeez. Not only did they get kept scoreless by United there but they didn’t even come close to it. Zero shots on target, something that Chelsea haven’t done in a decade. Jose Mourinho set his team up the same way that he did for the FA Cup clash between the sides, a massively unconventional formation which is best described as having two CBs to cover Diego Costa, then Herrera man-marking Eden Hazard on one side and Darmian man-marking Pedro on the other. Then a couple wingbacks to nullify the CFC WBs and there you go. The pace of Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford then caused nightmares for the defence (which had its paciest member, Cesar Azpilicueta, at LWB with Marcos Alonso out ill). Only this time he didn't have them hacking chunks outta Chelsea and getting sent off.

That’s remarkably specific how Jose did that, which means that for the same reason as Spurs weren’t the influencers for every other team beating up on Chelsea, Man United also haven’t set the magic formula either. That reason? Most teams don’t have the personnel. Spurs and United are two strong sides, up in the top six, with the flexibility to switch things up and field a back three. Spurs have fullbacks in Kyle Walker and Danny Rose who can play brilliantly in a back four but are also fit enough and aggressive enough to play as wingbacks too. Ditto Antonio Valencia (along with Ashley Young, a winger who’s being used more as an attacking fullback these days). The reason Chelsea didn’t start the season with the three-CBs is they didn’t have the players to fill those WB roles or that central CB one – it wasn’t until they signed Marcos Alonso and David Luiz on deadline day that it all fell in place. Insane thing is they were seen as backup panic buys at the time. Bloody hell.

And then Ander Herrera’s shadowing of Eden Hazard. It had shades of every horror film you’ve ever seen. You already know he’s lurking there behind you, so near but just out of sight, the sheer terror of it. He hunted The Haz down all game. When Hazard turned around, there he was. When Hazard shaped to pass, there he was. When Hazard came out of the changing rooms afterwards… there he was. There are only a handful of dudes in the Premier League who can do that job. Oh and he scored a goal. Oh and he also played one of the passes of the season to set up Marcus Rashford’s goal. Oh and there was a clear handball in the lead-up too.

Which all leads to the conclusion that Chelsea aren’t about to fall off a cliff here, not unless they allow it themselves and weakness is not a trait of Antonio “We will find a way or we will make one” Conte. He’s not a manager who’s much good at adjusting things on the fly and that was clear as he seemed to have no answer to Man United’s approach… but nobody else is gonna do that to them so no worries.

Remaining Fixtures:

• Chelsea: Southampton (H), Everton (A), Middlesbrough (H), West Brom (A), Watford (H), Sunderland (H)
• Spurs: Crystal Palace (A), Arsenal (H), West Ham (A), Man United (H), Leicester (A), Hull (A)

But the idea that Spurs have the tougher run-in is also a little exaggerated. Only two home games out of six is hard considering they’ve won 15 home games, drawn two and lost absolutely none at White Hart Lane, but those away games aren’t very tough. Leicester will be in no-man’s land by the time they play them, West Ham are playing terribly, Palace are in fine form but it’s still a game Spurs will be highly favoured in and Hull… that’s deceptively difficult what with their home form under Marco Silva and that relegation battle but safe to say they’ll be plotting their survival with points gained elsewhere. The home tie against Arsenal? Yo, that’s St Totteringham’s Day on the line, come on! Plus Arsenal are in all sorts of chaos at the moment, they’re as fickle as it gets with all the confusion and drama going on.

Man United will give Spurs some worries… but that tie’s arguably no harder than Chelsea having to go to Everton. Southampton are also a team capable of beating up on the big boys while West Brom are having a great season and it took a late Diego Costa goal to beat them at Stamford Bridge. Boro and Sunderland are getting relegated so those are winners but Watford have surprised a few big fellas this season. It’s not as clear as it looks.

All of which culminates in a fantastic finish to the season, where either team would deserve the title but only one can lift it. The only thing we’re missing is a head to head between the buggers, an effective final… but guess what? They’re playing each other on the weekend!

It’s an FA Cup semi-final, they’re playing at Wembley. The two best teams in the middle of a resurrected title race and they’re about to hit it up in front of 80,000 fans. Whichever divine presence went and arranged this, just give us all a sign and your house of worship will never be empty again. There are no league points on offer but a major statement here could be decisive. If Spurs carry on their immaculate recent form by beating up on Chelsea then nobody can deny that they’re the top of the crop right now. They can deal another brutal blow to a Blues team that might just be running out of steam after a long season relying on the same guys the whole way. If Chelsea can do the same then they’ll be able to look down on Tottenham and laugh at their insolence, thinking they could come at the bosses and win. Title race, ha! Same old Spurs more likely.

Then there’s also that little thing called revenge on the line. Spurs were the ones to stumble and fall late in a title race last season and the team that ended it for them was Chelsea. The defending champs in Chelsea but a team that finished mid-table in rather shameful circumstances. Then they had the nerve to celebrate the one great performance of their season like they’d won it all again, when all they’d done was officially end the slim chances a local rival had of taking their crown. A far superior local rival at the time of that game too. You think that isn’t lingering in the minds of Tottenham players and fans? You’d better believe it is.

We’ve got a title race. We’ve got two local rivals going for glory. We’ve got those two local rivals out trying to break each other’s records. We’ve got a fascinating tactical duel. We’ve got an FA Cup semi-final. We’ve got bad blood and revenge on the minds. We’ve got an outstanding finish to the season coming up and there won’t be a minute not worth watching.

The Wildcard’s FA Cup-Affected Premier League Predictions – Week 34

Hull City vs Watford – Hull City actually haven’t lost at home since Marco Silva took over so that rules one outcome out. So it’s a matter of whassup elsewhere and Watford know how to cause a few problems… ah… call it a draw. 1-1.

West Ham vs Everton – Winston Reid is nearing a return but Romelu Lukaku always scores against West Ham. Always. Nine consecutive games against the Hammers with a goal. Also revealed this week that he twice turned down the chance to play for West Ham. Yeah… lock him in for a hatty. 3-1 to Everton, on the road and everything.

Swansea vs Stoke – I don’t think Swansea are going down without a fight and despite Stoke fiiinally showing some footy last game, this is pretty much a must win for the Swans. 2-1, Swansea.

Burnley vs Man United – United were… fun against Chelsea. Mourinho hasn’t had them play fun since ever. Banking on a little hangover optimism from all that now, let’s see how things go. 2-0 to MUFC.

Liverpool vs Crystal Palace – Ah yes, the old Crystanbul rematch. That fateful day where a 3-0 lead became a 3-3 draw and Luis Suarez left the field in tears. That game was at the opposite venue but the ghost they linger. Also a grudge match for Christian Benteke. I dunno, tough one to pick here. I’ll nudge the Reds but only coz they’re at home and I’m too cowardly to go for a draw. Actually… nah, call it 1-1. Yeeeeeeah boy.

Hola, cheers for reading these things. Hopefully you appreciate it too - if you do then give a whack on one of those sexy looking ads and help us out a bit. Gracias.