Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League Title Tilt Faces the Cliche Test

Tottenham are deeply involved in the Premier League title race. It has been decades since Spurs could genuinely make that claim, but there is no escaping it in 2016. 

Mauricio Pochettino has built a resilient and exciting team, adding to the work of previous managers like Andre Villas-Boas and Harry Redknapp. 

Having hammered Manchester City and outplayed Arsenal, there is little doubt that this Tottenham team are good enough to win the league and end their 55-year title drought. This weekend's fixture, at home against Watford, is another tricky step on the road to what would be an unlikely title win. 

Before the seriousness resumes, it's time to address the real question: whether they pass the cliche test. 

The first and most important cliche is that experience is necessary to win it. 

Spurs have no significant title-winning experience. Only the former Ajax trio of Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen have league winner's medals.

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This starts Tottenham off on a poor footing in the cliche test. Of course, this cliche has an exception. 

Alan Hansen famously observed of Sir Alex Ferguson's youthful Manchester United side in 1995 that "you can't win anything with kids." United went on to claim the league title with a largely untested squad and a superstar goalkeeper. 

Among Tottenham's star outfield players are 22-year-old Harry Kane, 19-year-old Dele Alli and 23-year-old Christian Eriksen.  

Hugo Lloris is not at the level of the great Dane Peter Schmeichel, but the Frenchman is busily carving out a legacy and could yet reach such exalted status in time. 

Bucking the "experience" cliche with this playing group would fit snugly into that same narrative. 

Another piece of received wisdom about league champions is that they are often built around a native core, home-grown if possible. 

Every dynastic Premier League champion has fit this description. United's class of '92 formed the core of their success from the mid-90s. Arsenal's Invincibles featured European stars strutting around a British core. Jose Mourinho's Chelsea had John Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard. 

Pochettino's Tottenham have five Englishmen in their strongest lineup, and a handful more fill out the squad. 

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Moving away from specifically British cliches, the notion that champions win playing badly is virtually universal. 

The best teams always seem to find a way to win matches even when notably below top form. No team is at its best every week, but every title winner will win the vast majority of their games. 

At the beginning of this season, Spurs were drawing while playing poorly. While better than losing, picking up one point every week is insufficient for the aspirations that Tottenham suddenly have. 

Recent results, the 2-1 win over Watford and the 3-1 victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, suggest that a corner has decisively been turned. In both matches, Spurs struggled at times but emerged victorious. 

Even in the supremely confident 3-0 win over Norwich City, there were a pair of lucky bounces in the lead-up to Alli's opening goal. 

Whether this is indicative of some kind of champion spirit or simply revisionism at work, this cliche is rooted in truth. 

It must wait until the final league table is confirmed before it can be known whether Spurs possess this particular virtue in sufficient quantity. 

Of the last five league champions, only Manchester United in 2012-13 were outside the top three defensive teams. 

Another cliche that seems to ring true is one borrowed from our American friends, that titles are built on defence. 

It has been well documented that Tottenham have the best defence in the division this season. At their current rate (19 goals conceded in 24 games), Spurs will finish with the third best defence of any team in the last five seasons. 

The injury Vertonghen suffered at Selhurst Park may undermine their defensive strength, but there is no arguing with their results so far. 

Tottenham have passed all the tests they have faced up to this point. They've won when playing below their best, they've got a tough, young, British core and they possess the strongest defence in the league. 

Other cliches stand ahead. 

Can they juggle their commitments in multiple competitions? Will they display the necessary mental fortitude in the final weeks of the season? Can they win away at Stoke City? 

Pochettino and his team must clear all these hurdles and more if they are to claim this year's Premier League title.