5 Key Premier League Fixtures for Tottenham to Focus on in 2015-16 Season
Some Tottenham players are enjoying beachside holidays, while others are involved in competitions such as the FIFA U-20 World Cup, UEFA European Under-21 Championship and Copa America.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino is probably already preparing for next season and will be identifying key fixtures even now.
Every season unfolds in ways that cannot be predicted ahead of time. Few observers would have predicted that Liverpool's trip to Selhurst Park in 2014 would have been so decisive.
With that said, Spurs can pencil in a few key fixtures on their calendar before a goal is even kicked in next season's Premier League. Most of the fixtures highlighted here were defeats in a season where Spurs only missed the UEFA Champions League places by six points.
The margins are tight in the world's richest football league, and fixtures like these can make all the difference.
Newcastle (Home: Dec 12)
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Newcastle fans will tell you that their team plumbed new depths in 2014-15.
While they were sucked into a relegation battle late in the season, their new signings largely disappointed and only one player managed to reach double figures in terms of goals, they still managed to beat Spurs at White Hart Lane.
Worse for Spurs, this is not simply a one-off.
They have a terrible record against Newcastle and have been beaten at home by them in each of the last two seasons.
In 2013, Tim Krul made a season-high 14 saves to deny Andre Villas-Boas' Spurs. The following season, Emmanuel Adebayor gave Tottenham the lead before Alan Pardew's men staged a stunning comeback to win 2-1.
Each of these defeats was costly.
In combination, it seems that Spurs owe Newcastle a beating to square the ledger somewhat.
With the coming season's fixture falling in the hectic December period, it is likely to be another tricky affair.
Victory in the 2015-16 season would be a good start to putting things right.
Liverpool (Away: April 2)
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Tottenham historically struggle to win at Anfield.
Infamously, until their victory in 1985, Spurs hadn't won away to Liverpool since the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.
In 2014, Liverpool extended Spurs' Merseyside misery with a 3-2 triumph. Mario Balotelli's only Premier League goal for the Reds sealed the victory in a match that Spurs could easily have won.
Unfortunately, they didn't.
That defeat ended Spurs' three-game winning streak and stopped the momentum won in the 2-1 derby victory three days earlier.
A win at Anfield would have lifted Spurs to third place, having played one game more than the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United. The defeat was a devastating blow to Spurs' Champions League hopes.
Next season, that fixture is certain to carry similar significance. Spurs and Liverpool are chasing Champions League football, and both will have their sights set on fourth place.
With this fixture coming at the start of the run in to the end of the season, it will hold huge importance to Spurs' final position.
If Spurs can go to Anfield and win, it would be a huge boost for their hopes of returning to Europe's top table.
Chelsea (Away: April 30)
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Spurs have rid themselves of two great hoodoos in recent years.
Harry Redknapp's Spurs beat Arsenal at the Emirates in 2011 and Andre Villas-Boas' side went to Old Trafford and beat Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United.
Now Stamford Bridge is the only Premier League ground associated with a frightfully long losing streak.
Spurs haven't won in the blue corner of West London since 1990. Last season, they suffered a chastening 3-0 defeat that, in truth, could have been far worse.
Stamford Bridge is Everest for Spurs in the Premier League era, and finally taking three points would be a huge statement and demonstration of progress.
Pochettino is not one to be overly respectful of names and reputation. History won't faze him, but his side will need to be at its best to take down Jose Mourinho's men.
Next season Spurs are scheduled to make the trip to Stamford Bridge three games before the end of their season. With Chelsea certain to be involved in the latter stages of a title defence, it won't be an easy game.
Stoke (Away: April 16)
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Tottenham's trips to Stoke City tend to be unpleasant affairs.
The Britannia Stadium was the site of the final match of Juande Ramos' reign in 2008. Redknapp's best team fell to a controversial defeat there in December 2011.
In 2014-15, the Potters did the double over Spurs, but it was their destruction of a hapless Tottenham in May that left a particularly bitter taste.
If Pochettino can take his team to Stoke and leave with the points in hand, they will be in a great situation. Not just that, but they will also have eked out a little of the revenge that they surely owe the Potters.
Mid-April is do-or-die time for a Champions League push and the trip to the Potteries looms as a major obstacle to their ambitions.
The Derby (Away: November 7, Home: March 5)
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Home or away, the north London derby is always a hugely significant fixture for Tottenham Hotspur.
Last season, Spurs got the better of their two matches against their eternal enemy, winning at White Hart Lane after drawing 1-1 with Arsenal early in the season.
The coming campaign will be no different.
According to Sky Sports (h/t ESPN FC), Tomas Rosicky suggests that Arsenal are title contenders ahead of next season.
If that is to be the case, Spurs will relish the chance to sink their old rivals' hopes.
It is likelier that Arsenal will once again be among a slew of teams fighting for the Champions League places.
With Spurs on the rise, there will be huge stakes in the derbies in the coming campaign. When the fixtures are released, they are the first dates that fans' eyes will search out. They know that whether or not the two sides are playing for greater honours, derby day is always important.
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