Why Tottenham will still be the biggest side in PL title race between Arsenal, Man City, and Liverpool

I've been thinking about Cars a lot recently. Not the mode of transportation or the Gary Numan song, but the Disney Pixar film starring Owen Wilson as a cocky racer who gets stranded in a backwater hellhole and has to choose between the eternal glory of a Piston Cup in his rookie season and the eternal power of decency and friendship. (Spoiler alert, he chooses the latter.)

Now, when I mull over the Cars franchise, there are usually a couple of things that I get hung up on. Who, for instance, constructed the buildings that all these anthropomorphic vehicles inhabit when nobody in the movie possesses the opposable thumbs required to grip so much as a hammer? Why is there a Car Pope; does this imply the existence of a Car Jesus, and if so, how was he crucified, again, considering that nobody can presumably nail anything to anything in this cinematic universe? And why, for the love of Car God, was the second instalment a spy thriller starring Michael Caine? Make it make sense.

In the past couple of days, however, I have been thinking about Cars in relation to the Premier League title race. The plot of that first film hinges on a three-way battle for the aforementioned Piston Cup, a contest that could hardly be tighter as it enters its final sprint to the chequered flag. With ten games to go, and just a single point separating Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City, the English top flight could also be in for a photo finish this year. It's like Lightning McQueen, Strip 'The King' Weathers, and Chick Hicks in 2006 all over again.

But the biggest bump in the road for our trio of title chasers may prove to be a side who blew a tyre and ruled themselves out of the running some months ago. There was a time, when the campaign was still in its relative infancy, that Tottenham Hotspur looked genuinely capable of mixing it with the bigger boys. Ange Postecoglou's honeymoon period was more bountiful than most, and were it not for the glut of injuries that - almost literally - kneecapped his squad a short while ago, who is it say how much closer to the top of the table Spurs would currently be?

Certainly, if nothing else, they have given themselves a steady platform to build on next term, and a convincing demolition of Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon has put the North Londoners firmly in the driving seat when it comes to securing Champions League qualification for the 2024/25 season. But between now and then, Tottenham could still have a major role to play in deciding who lifts the Premier League trophy in May.

All three of Arsenal, Man City, and Liverpool still have to face Spurs in the coming weeks, and all three will have surely earmarked their respective clashes as one of the most notable potential banana skins in their individual run-ins.

Arsenal and City will, of course, face each other in a blockbuster six-pointer just after this month's international break, but following that decisive showdown, the top three will exclusively come up against sides who are some way behind them in the table. Pep Guardiola's men will be the first to face Spurs, on the weekend of April 20th, and the defending champions will be fully aware of the bloody nose that one of their persistent bogey teams could leave them with. In their last five Premier League meetings, City have beaten Spurs just once, losing on three occasions and drawing 3-3 when the two sides met back in early December.

After that, Arsenal make the short trip across North London for a derby that, while usually fairly fruitful for the Gunners, could still pose something of a headache. Like City, the last time Mikel Arteta's men played Tottenham, they too dropped points in a 2-2 draw.

And then there are Liverpool, the only top three club that Spurs have actually beaten already this season; albeit in wildly controversial VAR-adjacent circumstances back in September. Nevertheless, you would imagine that Jurgen Klopp will be eyeing the reverse fixture at Anfield with a suitable amount of trepidation.

It should go without saying that Arsenal, City, and Liverpool all have other significant obstacles to overcome besides Spurs. All three, for instance, still have Aston Villa to face for a second time, while last season's treble winners also have a tricky away trip against Brighton to navigate too. As for the Reds, they will play the ever-temperamental Manchester United in April, while the Gunners must face the Red Devils and an unpredictable Chelsea in a rescheduled fixture at some point as well.

But without a doubt, as your eye scans down the list of the expectant triumvirate's remaining matches, it is Tottenham who jump out first and most firmly. They may be too far gone to win the thing themselves, but Spurs could still have a huge role to play in this year's Premier League title race.