Has Spurs & Antonio Conte got what it takes to win?

The opening weeks of the Premier League were exciting all around England for the fans starved of top flight action for months. And Spurs took the spotlight.

Two wins and a draw, the north London side in their first full season with Antonio Conte couldn’t have asked for a better start. Of course, as Conte left London, he would have wondered if he matched up to last year’s opening weeks that ex-manager Nuno Espirito Santo had.

Seven points in 3 encounters, and what was more exciting was seeing Tottenham winning their matches while not at their best. It felt as if Spurs were running the games on cruise control and shaping up to be an outfit that has plenty more to give. They are picking up points without playing well, indicating that they are mentally stronger. Efforts of Tottenham’s extreme fitness regime are already bearing fruit as everyone who purchased Tottenham Hotspur tickets saw they looked like a strong side in the second half.

There was a little bit of resentment with the 61,298 people that purchased Tottenham Hotspur tickets at halftime when they were drawing 0-0 against Wolves. But the second half lived up to expectations as they took control of the game and claimed a 1-0 win thanks to a Harry Kane effort in the 64th minute as he surpassed Sergio Aguero to be the 4th highest goal scorer in all of Premier League history with 185 goals for a single club.

Conte praised his team for their second-half performance and added that the halftime chat was crucial in adapting to a better style of play. In the post-match press conference, he accepted that the side struggled physically in the first half but complimented his side for their fast-paced game in the second.

However, he still believes there are more things to fix as they come closer to important fixtures.

The New Battle at the Bridge

As Harry Kane brought in a late equalizer against Chelsea at the bridge, it opened up an iconic Premier League moment as the two managers shook hands after the game.

Maybe it was the heat of the moment. There were several disagreements over the refereeing decisions in the 2-2 draw, and it also followed some intense goal celebrations. But it took the football world by surprise as Thomas Tuchel, and Antonio Conte shook hands – two individuals who have always had good things to say about each other, sparking a new rivalry. There was a bit of handbags between the two as they shook hands and had to be separated by the support staff twice.

But what felt real was the London rivalry was coming alive. The tale goes back to the 2015-16 title hunt when Chelsea deprived Spurs of a hopeful Premier League title in a game that had no fewer than nine players booked.

Perhaps it was Conte’s way of staying on top and showing the world that the gap between his side and Chelsea was as close as ever. Either way, the Tuchel-Conte dynamic has changed forever.

News coming in from Atalanta is that Ruslan Malinovskyi is looking at a last-minute deal to join Tottenham. The Ukrainian liking the celebratory post by Spurs for their win against Wolves sparked interest across England with indications that he might be heading to London before the summer transfer window comes to a close.

The 29-year-old is a versatile player who can fit in different midfield positions, but he spent most of his time at Atalanta playing as a forward. While he contributed to 10 goals last season, he seems to have fallen out of favour, and a switch to London would seem like the best thing for him and the club.

Atlanta manager, however, praised Malinovskyi for his contribution to the side, stating that “he is very good in an attacking role and adapted well.”

For Spurs, he would be an ideal fit as Tottenham are looking for depth with the team also in the UEFA Champions League. Malinovsky has reportedly been told that he can leave and will most likely be heading to England.

It’s still very early into the season, and no real claims can be made about Spurs, but this momentum has definitely got the fans buzzing. However, the next few fixtures should be interesting as they lock horns against the heavyweights.

These six encounters will decide whether Tottenham are actual title contenders for the season. Tottenham’s next six fixtures:

Nottingham Forest (A) – August 28

Spurs will play their first game against a newly promoted side and will travel to the City Ground. Forest has won one, drawn one and lost one out of their opening fixtures which is a solid start on their first season back in the top flight.

West Ham (A) – August 31

Three days after the Forest game, the side will play their second London derby and their first mid-week game for the season. Tottenham will definitely need to pick up the three points at the London Stadium, something that they’ve not been able to accomplish in the last few years. Expect Conte to bring in a few squad rotation players to help them get more game time.

Fulham (H) – September 3

It will be a tight run for Spurs since they will need to recover fast to play against another newly promoted side – Fulham. Fulham currently sits 4th in the table, but this encounter should give them a boost as they get ready to play the big guns.

If Spurs finish the week with two wins, it would be a good setting for them as they head towards the following week to play City.

Man City (A) – September 10

All of England will be looking at this game at the Etihad when the Lilywhites play the defending Champions. Getting Tottenham Hotspur tickets for the City game is going to be a challenge as Conte became the only side last season to defeat Pep Guardiola’s City not once but twice.

Building on last year’s reputation, Tottenham would love to return from the Etihad with three points, but it isn’t going to be easy.

Leicester (H) – September 17

Last season’s game against Leicester was a thriller at the King Power Stadium. Steven Bergwijn scored two goals in injury time to win that game in January and with the Foxes struggling in the opening games, Conte would want to take all the points on offer.

Arsenal (A) – October 1

Soon after the international break comes the North London Derby. The first will be at the Emirates, and Arsenal has a score to settle after the last encounter ended in a 3-1 defeat at WHL.

If Spurs come out on top in this game, it would make a massive statement that the Lilywhites are genuine contenders for league title.

While the opening games were solid, the next six games will give us a real indication as to where Tottenham Hotspur are. Tottenham tickets are increasingly selling out, with fans finally concluding that this would be the year the side ends their trophy drought.

Tottenham tickets available for the next six games have already been sold out, but trusted reseller platforms have you covered. With tickets coming from trusted resellers, you could purchase your Tottenham Hotspur tickets to watch them play in September or October without any hassle.