Chelsea may have won the title but there are apparently other prizes up for grabs in the league. The British media would have you believe that Tottenham Hotspur’s second place finish is as worthy of silverware as winning the Premier League itself.
Early this season it became clear the Premier League title race was truly between Chelsea and Tottenham. It soon became even clearer that it was Chelsea’s to lose. But a team of Spurs’ quality should be aiming higher. They should not be celebrating second place as if it reaps its own rewards.
An incredibly simple fact seems to have slipped under the radar within the Tottenham – media rhetoric: trophies are the only measurement of success in football. Chelsea are the champions of the Premier League. They have spent 64 days at the top of the league. The closest Spurs came was four points behind.
The last week or so has highlighted an odd mentality that exists within football. If you achieve a higher standard than you are used to, that is enough. Even if that does not result in an honour, you still celebrate because it is more than what you know.
Let’s make this as clear as necessary: competing for a title and losing should neither be acceptable nor normalised for a club of Tottenham’s level.
That can not be the standard. Tottenham’s ‘this is the best we’ve been in years’ season was last year. They began this season ready to put up a fight, especially with a return to Champions League football. But they wasted every chance at a trophy and replaced what should be anger with a consolation of second place.
Yes, Chelsea did not have European football this season. We’ve all heard that one (and we’ve also previously won the league alongside playing in Europe, but that is for another time). Focusing on this season alone, Liverpool also had no European football. The most they achieved was solidifying their place in a top four battle. Even Tottenham’s European football dreams ended in February, after losing in the Europa League to Gent.
That gave them three months on level playing field with Chelsea. The Blues came out on top, even winning the FA Cup semi final against their ‘title challengers’ in the process. Tottenham have been in five tournaments this year and failed in them all.
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And yet, a league table showing how Tottenham have the most points over the past two seasons is somehow given credibility in debating who is the better team. If that club wants to accept second place as the best they could have done this season, that’s fine. But doing so distorts Antonio Conte’sincredible achievement in his first season in the Premier League.
Chelsea picked up from their most demoralising season in the modern era. This was added to the transitional period that a new manager brings, and a few new signings. Chelsea’s expectations were top four, at the most.
Instead, they did what Spurs should have been doing – dominating the league and going into a cup final. Mauricio Pochettino is a great manager, but last season was the time for development in order to earn some future success. In theory, this season should have been theirs.
But it wasn’t. Chelsea are the champions. They will lift the trophy on Sunday, and still have the prospect of winning another a week later.
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Spurs doubtlessly will be looking at how Chelsea won the league to restart their ambitions for next season. Everyone else should be focusing on the same thing. Chelsea dominated the league and earned their rewards. There can only be one winner.