EPL: Three Pivotal Upcoming Weeks in Tottenham Hotspur's Season

Looking back on a team's season, there are always more than a few examples of games and moments we can pinpoint as being pivotal to the eventual outcome. Trying to predict them beforehand is not always so easy.

It is pretty safe to say, however, that the upcoming three weeks or so for Tottenham Hotspur will give us a good idea of what this team will be capable of achieving in the remainder of the season.

Those three weeks see Spurs renew hostilities with north London-rivals, Arsenal, before a week later they welcome Manchester United to White Hart Lane.

Then follows an FA Cup fifth-round replay with Stevenage before league action resumes with a trip to a revitalised Everton.

Here now is a preview of what will be an exciting few weeks for all involved with Tottenham. Looking ahead at:

- Why we shouldn't be fooled into thinking that the pressure is only on the under-siege Gunners ahead of the derby clash.

- Has there never been a better time to take on Manchester United?

- Why the games against Stevenage and Everton might herald the most anticipated few months in decades for Tottenham Hotspur.

Read on for more.

Sunday, 26 February: Arsenal

Arsenal's 4-0 loss in Milan and the following weekend's FA Cup exit to Sunderland have once again raised questions and issues over their squad and the suitability of Arsene Wenger in taking the club forward.

Wenger has barely had a moment's peace from this bombardment of opinion. Prior to the past week, they had recently beaten Blackburn 7-1 and edged Sunderland 2-1 in the league. But just when they look they might put together a run of form, they are again reminded of their current limits.

For Spurs, it would seem like there is not a better time to play their north London neighbours—and that is probably true. But while the pressure will be on Wenger and his team to salvage some pride for their supporters, Harry Redknapp's side cannot underestimate the importance of the game to their own cause.

It is true that Tottenham can afford to drop points on Sunday—at least in respect to their efforts to remain third in the league. But losing to Arsenal would certainly extinguish any faint, remaining title hopes and would give the Gunners and others a foot in the door in the hope of catching Spurs.

At first glance, a win for Tottenham will keep at least 10 points ahead of the nearest team behind them and would, depending on results for the two Manchester clubs United and City, possibly even push them closer to first place. Psychologically, though, the benefits could be even greater.

A win would complete Tottenham's first league double over Arsenal since 1992/93, all but guaranteeing them finishing above Arsenal for the first time since 1994/95 (and the first since Wenger came to England.)

So much more is left to play out in so many stories revolving the futures of both club's managers and what the remainder of their respective campaigns will bring. But there is no denying this is a serious chance for Tottenham to be rid of any past inferiority complex and become the dominant club in London once more.

This is not to say it would signal Arsenal's demise by any means—they may come strong again within a year or two. But at the very least it will make Spurs the team looking down on them for once. It is up to them then to make the most of that opportunity.

Sunday, 4 March: Manchester United

In the past few seasons Tottenham have put an end to the respective hoodoos Chelsea and Arsenal held over them for so long. One that they have not yet been able to shake off is the hold Manchester United have over them.

Spurs last beat United in May of 2001, by a 3-1 score, at home, shortly after the latter had just won the title. It was so long ago that Sol Campbell had not yet left and the Spurs scorers were Willem Korsten (two) and Les Ferdinand.

What has been especially frustrating for Tottenham has been their general failure to give United a game of it.

At least with Arsenal, every now and then there would be some semi-regular, credible draws to keep spirits up. When it has come to United, "highlights" in the past decade have extended to being robbed of a possibly memorable winner from the halfway line when Pedro Mendes' shot was hooked from behind the line by Roy Carroll in January of 2005. And there was a penalty-shootout loss in the 2009 Carling Cup final after a good performance in a well-fought contest.

The difference on this upcoming March occasion is that this is the first time in decades Tottenham have been this close to United in ability and points. Regardless of whether Spurs beat Arsenal, this fixture offers them their last opportunity to inflict their own damage on their title rivals.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side have lost just twice since being thrashed by their own rivals, City, in October, with the type of form that has seen Spurs rise so high this season since their own humiliating City loss. If the current United squad does not match the overall levels of talent of past incarnations, it does bare the most crucial hallmarks of their successful predecessors.

That consistency is a product of a thoroughly drilled side, blending all the creativity, determination and know-how one would expect of a top team. Spurs have excelled in characterising their own game with those first two points. A bigger test will come in whether they have the know-how to hang in there and stay competitive even if United take a lead or dominate possession.

If they can do that, Spurs genuinely have players who at least match, and in some cases better their United counterparts. It will be an intriguing watch to see how the likes of Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Emmanuel Adebayor face up to such a test of their credentials in such a big game.

Another interesting watch will be in regards to who United play in goal. Their vulnerability during set pieces should not be too much of an in issue for them. It has an area where Spurs have failed to develop any sort of strategy or indeed have players capable of hitting a dangerous free kick.

But when it comes to crossing the ball in open play, they are a far greater threat. In particular Aaron Lennon, Bale and their supporting fullbacks have had a lot of joy with nuisance crosses or cutting in and running at defenders. Here, United—with either David De Gea or Anders Lindegaard in goal—might struggle to assess a situation that evolves so quickly and dangerously when Spurs are in full flow.

Wednesday, 7 March: Stevenage

Stevenage will be naturally pleased to have taken Tottenham Hotspur to a replay, their dream of making it to an FA Cup quarterfinal still alive. Having seen Arsenal go out, and with Chelsea having to a face a tricky replay away at Birmingham City, Spurs will certainly be pleased to remain in a competition they have a strong chance of progressing in.

The prospect of a top-three finish and a return to Champions League football is obviously enticing, but the chance to win some silverware, too (and win another trophy since Arsenal last won something), must continue to be taken seriously for reasons any football fan should be well aware of.

The main thing from past Sunday was to be in the draw that followed it (Bolton Wanderers now await the winner of the replay). Stevenage manager Gary Smith is hopeful that taking Spurs to a replay will help his side, especially as "they've got Arsenal and Manchester United, with us plugged in somewhere in the middle."

But this hope to catch Spurs with their priorities elsewhere is misguided for Smith, especially as the replay comes after these two big league games. Following on from United, Tottenham will either be keen to take out their frustrations on someone or wanting to celebrate a good result in style.

There is previous, too, as to why a focused Spurs side should have little trouble in a replay. In the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds of the 2009/10 competition, Spurs were taken to replays and each time won comfortably. The latter two were at White Hart Lane and against Premier League competition in Bolton and Fulham.

Spurs players will know this is an opportunity to progress further in this competition that, if they were to screw up, would be something they regret for a long time.

Saturday, 10 March: Everton

For much of the Premier League era, Tottenham were a bogey team for Everton. That has changed over the past five years, and in its place this fixture has generally become an entertaining and engaging contest between two of England's most storied clubs.

Spurs won in the re-arranged fixture in January, comfortably beating the Merseyside club, 2-0. Much has changed since then, though, with Everton revitalised by the signings of Darron Gibson, Nikica Jelavic and their former player, Steven Pienaar.

The latter of course is loan from Spurs and, like the Toffees loanee, Louis Saha, will not play in this fixture. His effect has been felt already though, with the club's new signings instilling a renewed sense of spirit that had been lacking around the place.

It has contributed to their progression in the FA Cup, and also to big home wins over Manchester City and Chelsea. For a club that looked down on its luck and struggled to turn their fortunes around earlier in the campaign, things have certainly picked up.

All in all, it makes for an interesting fixture when Spurs come to town. Everton will be hoping to take another big scalp, while Spurs—well, it depends on what happens before.

Tottenham may arrive at Goodison Park in big need of a win following a tricky few weeks. But there could also be the best-case scenario that sees them turn up in the Northwest, having put Arsenal and United both to the sword, knowing full well they have 10 games remaining to make something truly special of their season.

Looking ahead this far is an inexact science, rather a fool's act, perhaps. But it is only to underline what Tottenham might well be capable of achieving if they deliver over these next three weeks.

For a side that so often, and for so long, have had little to play for come May, knowing they will come through this period with something still at stake is an achievement. What is especially tantalising for Tottenham, is the scale of just what this might be.