Hibbelforum » . But Chalmers wound up drawing an

Tottenham kept up the pressure on Leicester with an emphatic 4-0 win over Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on Monday night. The result keeps their title hopes alive but with Mauricio Pochettino at the helm of this young squad, the long-term prospects are equally encouraging, writes Adam Bate. Leicester City are having the season of their lives. The annus mirabilis. The perfect storm. But whatever anybody is calling it, nobody is in a rush to suggest it will happen again. For second-placed Tottenham, theres a growing feeling that the situation is rather different.Ive said it a lot this season that this is an unbelievable chance for Spurs to win a title and this chance may not come again, said Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football. But I think I may be wrong. The more I watch them, the more I think this chance might come again. I was expecting Spurs to go back to being challenging for top four, but the more I watch this team, I think in terms of years to come, this is going to be a side thats challenging for the title. Such talk is enough to get Tottenham fans giddy. But the logic is sound.For while seven of Leicesters favoured starting line-up this season have already turned 29 years old, thats the age of Spurs senior man - goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris. Not a single outfield player in their squad has celebrated that particular birthday just yet. Leicester and Tottenham age comparison Age Leicester Tottenham Age 29 Kasper Schmeichel Hugo Lloris 29 29 Danny Simpson Kyle Walker 25 30 Christian Fuchs Danny Rose 25 32 Wes Morgan Toby Alderweireld 27 31 Robert Huth Jan Vertonghen 28 25 NGolo Kante Eric Dier 22 26 Danny Drinkwater Mousa Dembele 28 25 Riyad Mahrez Christian Eriksen 24 26 Marc Albrighton Erik Lamela 24 30 Shinji Okazaki Dele Alli 20 29 Jamie Vardy Harry Kane 22 Stoke manager Mark Hughes described Tottenham as an outstanding side That in itself can bring a certain exuberance. They were quicker to everything, said Stoke boss Mark Hughes after seeing his side dismantled. But its not just the youth and dynamism of Mauricio Pochettinos side thats proving so impressive. Its the discipline. Its the quality.Tottenham might well be the best coached team in the Premier League and theyre playing football to excite. The league table is no liar, of course, but the underlying data is there to support the story and its telling quite the tale. Pochettinos Tottenham are top on many Premier League metrics this season They are the top goalscorers in the division with 64 goals, having created more chances than any other side (449). And yet, theyve also conceded the fewest goals, having let in only 25 at the other end. Its a combination only Spurs can boast in Englands professional leagues.Whats more, theres momentum too. Thirteen of the last 14 goals scored in Spurs games have been by them. If Leicester are all about getting over the line, Spurs are just getting better. This is a team now freed from cup distractions and powering towards the finish. Jamie Carragher believes Tottenham are more than capable of winning titles Harry Kane and Dele Alli took the headlines on Monday and Carragher understandably called them superstars for their contributions. Kane tops the scoring charts, while theres no younger player in Europes biggest four leagues with as many goals or assists as Alli.But everywhere around the pitch there are success stories. Kyle Walker and Danny Rose provide the energy on the flanks - they produced more than 70 high-intensity sprints each against Stoke - while fellow England international Eric Dier is there to drop back and cover.In the centre of defence, the Belgian pairing of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld have impressed, with the latter arguably the finest centre-back in the country this season. Ahead of them in midfield, compatriot Mousa Dembele has been a statistical sensation.Dembele ranks fourth in the league for both dribbles and tackles - an unusual combination that hints at his all-round skillset. There was even a rare assist at Stoke and the visiting fans made a mockery of the suggestion that hes an unsung hero by chanting his name repeatedly. Patrick Davison was joined by Andy Hinchcliffe to discuss Tottenhams 4-0 victory Christian Eriksen is Spurs playmaker supreme, with only Mesut Ozil having created more chances this season, and the Dane showed remarkable vision to pick out Alli for the second goal of the night. Meanwhile, Erik Lamela is in the form of his White Hart Lane career.The Argentine laid on Kanes second and its clear that both men have fused application with talent - Eriksen in covering more ground than anyone (12.2 kilometres), Lamela in making more sprints (82). Its testament not only to their hard work but the work of the manager. Harry Kane feels the teams 4-0 win over Stoke was a statement of intent Sometimes when youre picking a player of the match for Spurs, it could be five or six of them because its all about the team, added Carragher. The man who should get most of the credit is the manager, because what hes created here is something very special.What Pochettino has created is a culture, and that can be far more powerful than mere personnel. It can endure even when players are replaced. And it can win titles. The Spurs fans at the Britannia Stadium on Monday evening are sensing one might not be far away. Pochettino says his Tottenham side are still fighting for the title Leicester City, were coming for you, they chanted, with increasing gusto as the goals went in. Theres no denying that pipping the Foxes to the Premier League crown should be the primary focus right now. But Tottenham can look beyond that too.For while its true that the big guns will be adding to their arsenal in the summer, its apparent that Arsenal and the rest are the ones now playing catch up. Those same Spurs fan know it too. Arsene Wenger, we want you to stay, they sang. Leicester and Tottenham are going head-to-head for the Premier League title Of course, theyll want Pochettino to stay too but then why would he leave? Everything is there for Tottenham, added Carragher. Hes got to try to win a lot of trophies with this team because theyre very capable.Capable and hungry. Were not going to stop, Alli told Sky Sports after the game. Thats a worry for Leicester City right now. But in the longer term, it should be a worry for each and every other team hoping to win a Premier League title any time soon too. Also See: Carra: Why would Pochettino leave? WATCH: Cesc rooting for Leicester NFL Gear From China . - Doug Kalitta led Top Fuel qualifying Friday in the NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway with a 3. Nike NFL Jerseys .C. -- The Carolina Panthers announced Thursday theyve signed free agent wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery to a two-year contract, helping rebuild a depleted wide receiving corps. http://www.jerseyschinanfl.com/. Still, its a start. Josh Baileys goal with 1:40 left capped a furious third-period rally, and the Islanders edged the Penguins 4-3 on Friday night. Cheap NFL Shop . The Toronto Maple Leafs forward and Nashville Predators goaltender highlighted Mondays waiver transactions, with Calgarys Chuck Kobasew and Edmontons Philip Larsen also being placed on waivers. Cheap NFL Jerseys Factory . While the pair of Spain internationals return, midfielder Xavi Hernandez will not be included in the squad after failing to recover from a muscle strain to his left leg.MIAMI -- Making one free throw at the end of regulation wasnt enough for the Miami Heat, nor was making just one again at the end of the first overtime. In the second extra session, one made all the difference for Minnesota. Corey Brewer hit one of two free throws with 1.8 seconds left after getting a call on an awkward-looking play, and that was enough to help the Timberwolves escape a three-hour thriller with a 122-121 victory over the Heat on Friday night. "Great call," Brewer said. "He pushed my back." Kevin Love scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Minnesota, which got 24 from Chase Budinger, 15 from Gorgui Dieng and 13 apiece from JJ Barea and Ricky Rubio, who also added 14 assists. Referee Ken Mauer called the last foul on Miamis Norris Cole, who was guarding Brewer near the basket as a pass was coming his way. "You just want to see the players decide it at the end," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said calmly after the game. "I didnt get a good look at the replay. ... Still, we had many more opportunities to close that game out." Ray Allen missed a wild jumper as time expired for Miami, which blew a chance to move two games clear of Indiana in the loss column atop the Eastern Conference standings. "We gutted one out," Love said. "This was a fun win." LeBron James scored 34 points for the Heat, who got a season-high 24 from Mario Chalmers and 24 more from Chris Bosh, including a tying 3-pointer with 10.8 seconds left in the second overtime. James said he wanted the last shot. Its the second straight end-of-game play where Miami didnt go to James when trailing. "Its a little frustrating," James said, wearing a Pharrell Williams-esque mountain hat at his locker after the game. "Im a little over it right now, but right after the game I was a little frustrated." Miami went 24 for 30 from the line, but three of those six misses proved particularly costly. James missed one of two free throws with 16.2 seconds to go, and Chalmers missed the first of two on his trips to the line in the final seconds of both regulation and the first overtime. "We had our chances," Spoelstra said. "Either a key stop, one less turnover, a free throow here or there, we had our opportunities.dddddddddddd. They made one last play." Said Chalmers, who was 8 for 10 from the line: "I missed the two most important ones." The Heat (52-23, .693) remained percentage points ahead of Indiana (53-24, .688), which lost earlier Friday night at Toronto, 102-94. Regulation and the first overtime ended in virtually the same fashion. With Minnesota up by one and Miami in desperation mode, Chalmers would make the second of two free throws -- with 3.9 seconds left in the fourth, then with 1.9 seconds left in the first extra session -- to tie the game, followed by the Heat watching a potential winning jumper by Love bounce off the rim. But Love hit a clutch 3-pointer in the second OT, helping swing the tide one last time. "Hes one of a kind," Rubio said. "We try to look for him all the time. He made tough shots. He gave us the game." There were nine lead changes in the entirety of regulation. There were 10 in the first OT alone. Budingers fifth 3-pointer of the night put Minnesota up 107-106 late in the first extra period. Bosh fought for an offensive rebound on the next Miami possession, wound up getting fouled and coolly making a pair of free throws to give the Heat a one-point edge. Minnesota called its next play for Love, who backed Bosh down and connected on a jump hook to reclaim that one-point lead. But Chalmers wound up drawing another foul, hit the second shot and off to double-overtime they went. By then, it was obvious that whichever team lost was going to have a long night of lamenting missed opportunities. "To get a win like this on the road against the world champions, it says a lot," Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said. NOTES: Allen returned from a five-game absence caused by the flu. ... Miami was again without Dwyane Wade (hamstring) and Greg Oden (back spasms). ... It was Rubios first time playing at Miami. ... Minnesota was again without C Nikola Pekovic (ankle), who has missed 21 of the Timberwolves last 31 games. ... A foul by Budinger saved Minnesota two points late in the third; he hit James on a play where Allen made a 3-pointer. After review, Allens 3 was correctly taken off the board and James only made one of his two ensuing free throws. ' ' '