Former Spurs player and boss, Tim Sherwood, believes Tottenham can \u2018do a Leicester\u2019 and emerge as Premier League champions this season with \u2018the best front three in world football\u2019 spearheading their attack and with Liverpool minus the dominating presence of their star defender for a major part of the remainder of the season.<\/p>\n
Sherwood has told talkSPORT the long-term injury to Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk has effectively thrown the title race wide open this season, and rates Jose Mourinho\u2019s side now as one of the top contenders for the final laurels.<\/p>\n
It is now all over the news that Van Dijk\u2019s season could well be over after he suffered a third grade ACL tear\u00a0– during the Merseyside derby between longstanding rivals Liverpool and Everton, with the well-respected defender possibly facing months out after the appalling tackle from Pickford who, by the way, will not be facing any retrospective action for his much-maligned blunder.<\/p>\n
Without their defensive keystone, there\u2019s the general perception now that the defending champions\u2019 title chances are looking pretty slim.<\/p>\n
And, recalling Leicester\u2019s iconic 2015\/16 title win – regarded as one of the best and most unlikely sporting achievements in history – Sherwood believes this season could produce another shock result in the top-flight. Could history be about to repeat itself this season?<\/p>\n
\u201cThis league is always unpredictable, but it\u2019s so much more unpredictable this season,\u201d the ex-Spurs player and coach told Monday\u2019s talkSPORT Breakfast.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the most competitive league in the world, but it\u2019s been nothing like this. It has to be something to do with no fans in the stadiums, it\u2019s the only thing I can put my finger on.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s wide open now, especially with that news of Van Dijk being missing. It\u2019s up for grabs for someone to come out of the pack.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverton have had a fantastic start, Tottenham have their problems at the back but look brilliant going forward, Arsenal are improving under Mikel Arteta.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw Leicester do it three or four years ago, so who knows? I think it could be a year for someone to come out and win it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if that team could be his former club Tottenham, Sherwood admitted that with Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Gareth Bale as the frontline assault, anything is possible.<\/p>\n
Spurs may not have had the best of weekends, letting a 3-0 lead slip to draw 3-3 with West Ham at home on Sunday, but the former boss believes the team has enough quality in his squad to challenge for top honours.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cWell, why not?<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got so many players, they had seven on the bench yesterday and they had Carlos Vinicius who was the only one who wasn\u2019t an international footballer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got Dele Alli who can\u2019t even get changed, Danny Rose hasn\u2019t got a squad number, they\u2019ve got a massive amount of quality in their squad.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got a manager who is used to winning, Jose knows how to win things.<\/p>\n
Spurs may have gone weak in the knees momentarily against West Ham, but Sherwood believes they are very much contenders for the title this season<\/p>\n
\u201cGareth Bale needs to get fit; obviously when he came on he had that one lung-busting run, his shot went past the post and when you saw his face after that he was struggling to breathe \u2013 he needs to get back to fitness, he\u2019s not ready to start at the moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut when he gets back to fitness, alongside Son and Kane, there\u2019s no better front three in world football, is there? Liverpool fans will argue, of course\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Jose gets a nice solid base behind those three, and you\u2019ve got Hugo Lloris who is one of the best goalkeepers in the league, Tottenham have got every chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
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