The incredible Tottenham stats that should concern Man City, Liverpool & co.

Spurs have enjoyed their best ever start to a Premier League campaign

Tottenham have had their best ever start to a Premier League season, without playing at their best.

And that should concern the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.

Spurs sit fifth in the table, just two points off the top and prepare to welcome leaders City to Wembley on Monday Night Football.

Three straight wins to start the season, including a 3-0 triumph at Old Trafford, had some talking about Spurs potentially challenging City and Liverpool for the title.

But back-to-back defeats against Watford and then Liverpool curtailed that talk.

However, Mauricio Pochettino's men have since gone on a four-game winning run to position themselves just behind the leaders.

And the fact that it is their best ever start to a campaign should worry those above them.

Why?

Because Pochettino teams are always a bigger and better force after Christmas than they are before it.

Let's take a look at the stats.

2017/18

Last season Spurs pipped Liverpool to third place thanks to an impressive second half of the campaign.

There were 18 games from January 1 onwards, with Spurs winning 12 and drawing 4 of those - a 67% win percentage.

That was 12% higher than the first half of the season, when Spurs won 11 of 20 games, losing 5.

August to December

Games: 20

Won: 11

Drew: 4

Lost: 5

Win percentage: 55%

January to May

Games: 18

Won: 12

Drew: 4

Lost: 2

Win percentage: 67%

2016/17

The season Spurs came closest to challenging Chelsea for the title.

And it was down to their scintillating form from January onwards.

Pochettino's men won 16 of their 20 games from January to May, drawing 2 and losing 2 for an incredible 80% win percentage.

That contrasts massively to the 56% win percentage from the first half of the campaign, with 6 draws in their 18 games proving costly.

August to December

Games: 18

Won: 10

Drew: 6

Lost: 2

Win percentage: 56%

January to May

Games: 20

Won: 16

Drew: 2

Lost: 2

Win percentage: 80%

2015/16

Spurs only actually won half of their games during the Leicester title-winning season.

Ten of those came in the second lot of 19 games, with nine from the first half, working out at a 53% win percentage from January onwards compared to 47% from August to December.

Not really title-winning form all told, but an improvement after Christmas nonetheless.

August to December

Games: 19

Won: 9

Drew: 8

Lost: 2

Win percentage: 47%

January to May

Games: 19

Won: 10

Drew: 5

Lost: 4

Win percentage: 53%

2014/15

The same figures were present in Pochettino's first year as boss.

Spurs won 47% of their games in the first half of this campaign and upped it to 53% in the second half.

They lost 12 games in total during that first campaign though - there has been a marked improvement in the number of losses during a season since then.

August to December

Games: 19

Won: 9

Drew: 4

Lost: 6

Win percentage: 47%

January to May

Games: 19

Won: 10

Drew: 3

Lost: 6

Win percentage: 53%

Looking at this season

Tottenham have won seven of their nine games so far this season - an impressive 78% - the same number as City, Liverpool and Arsenal.

If they continue at this pace throughout the rest of October, November and December, considering the trend to come after Christmas, the rest of the big six should be very worried indeed about Pochettino's men come the end of the season.