Premier League clubs prepare for pivotal festive schedule

Spurs face a run of seven games in just 21 days which could decide just how real their title challenge is

Tottenham are facing a crucial run of fixtures (Pool via REUTERS)

The Premier League is about to reach one of the key periods of the 2020/21 season.

The still fledgling campaign has already seen plenty of surprises, with Manchester City's home thrashing by Leicester City, champions Liverpool's stunning 7-2 defeat at Aston Villa and Manchester United's manhandling at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur all flying in the face of what most expected to see so far.

Spurs, with a revitalised Jose Mourinho at the helm, are a big surprise themselves, leading the way as they do with a quarter of the season about to be put in the rear-view mirror this weekend.

But nothing is won in December, as a veteran like Mourinho is no doubt well aware, with his side about to set off on a run of seven matches in the space of just 21 days that could well end up proving pivotal.

Christmas and New Year will test even the most well balanced of squads in the English top flight with most playing on average every three days over a packed festive period.

Spurs start their seasonal schedule at Crystal Palace on Sunday before clashes with Liverpool, Leicester, Wolves, Fulham and Leeds, with an EFL Cup quarter-final at Stoke City crammed in between for good measure.

It won't be easy, especially after a Covid shortened offseason that already has sides stretched, but it could go a long way to deciding just how real the title challenge is from Mourinho's men this year.

"Now is the accumulation of matches in the Premier League that, to be honest, are more difficult than the Europa League matches because the quality of the teams is higher in the Premier League," he said after watching his team secure progression through to the Europa League last-32 as group winners on Thursday evening.

"We also have a quarter-final to play at Stoke and Stoke is doing so, so well in the Championship. So many matches. Do we need to make rotations? Of course we need to. It is impossible for a player to play all these matches in a short period of time, of course we need to do it and we have to do it but at the same time there are players that are really, really unique.

"And with some unique players in spite of the fact that the squad is very good we have to try to give them the most minutes possible because they can make a difference."

Mourinho has got important points against City, Chelsea and Arsenal over the last month by reverting to type to a degree and sitting in, holding what his side had before hitting teams on the break, often to devastating effect as especially City and the Gunners would attest.

He is unlikely to be able to approach this weekend in the same manner, however, with Roy Hodgson's Eagles equally eager to play a waiting game.

Mourinho though believes his side can draw on the experiences of wins at Burnley and West Brom earlier in the year as they bid for what could prove to be a crucial three points at Selhurst Park.

"Palace defend but Palace attack," he added. "Palace they have in spite of I didn't analyse them yet with detail, but I can say that yes they defend, yes they defend with lots of people and experienced people but they have quality in attack, organised attack, counter-attack and set-pieces so they are a team that can threaten in lots of different situations.

"So the game is going to be globally difficult. But without comparing opponents because of course Palace is in another dimension, but West Brom, Burnley were very difficult matches for us but we managed to win these matches."

If they do win again on Sunday then more and more people will be forced to take them seriously. But for Mourinho and his Tottenham title-chasers, the hard yards are still to come.