Tottenham have had a mixed-bag start to the season.
Their start has troubled the fanbase, with many wondering how far the team can go if they only have one of playing the game.
And the club have received a fresh blow to their confidence as one of their former players has backed his other side to finish in the Champions League spots and not them.
Gus Poyet backs Chelsea for top-four finish over Tottenham
Former professional midfielder Gus Poyet has backed Chelsea as the team more likely to make top four come the end of the season than Tottenham.
In a recent interview given to Vavel, the Uruguayan, who represented both the London clubs, had this to say on his former sides:
โAt this stage I would say Chelsea, just. I think they have the more younger and talented players who can get the team into the top 4.โ
โI think more quality in depth is going to help Chelsea and with the likes of Palmer, Sancho, Jackson and Madueke picking up good form, this could be good for Chelsea. Spurs will be a threat, but Ange has to attempt his tactics [sic] to who he plays.โ
The Blues have certainly had the better start to the season and are unbeaten in their last four games, going strength to strength under Enzo Maresca.
Tottenham, on the other hand, continue to stumble with two defeats in their last five games.
Up next for Spurs is the UEFA Europa League opener against Qarabaฤ before they face Man United at Old Trafford on Sunday. Chelsea, meanwhile, are coming off a 5-0 drubbing of Barrow in the Carabao Cup and face Brighton in the league on Saturday.
A not-unreasonable shout
Poyet points to one of the biggest issues Spurs have, that their manager has a โmy way or no wayโ approach to the sport which, while being admirable, has a certain ceiling.
In the league, at least, Spurs face a challenge not only against the fatigue that sets in over a season, as we saw last term, they can also rest assure that while they wonโt change their approach, their oppositions will, tailoring an approach to particularly take apart Spursโ game.
Now, this is not to say Chelsea are guaranteed for Champions League football. Maresca has been ruthless in his decision-making in order to reach upon a small set of players he wants to work with, and that has resulted in a surprisingly stable starting XI, so while early signs indicate a higher ceiling for them, there are still many teams in the mix that could undo Chelsea, and weโre yet to see how they deal with a rut.
