A fairytale brewing in north of London too

NEW DELHI: A banner reading `We won the league at White Hart Lane' was held out by two middle-aged

Arsenal

supporters at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night. The years 1974 and 2004 were printed on either side of the red cloth with the Arsenal emblem embroidered in the centre.

Perhaps, it was a sign that the Gunners have come to terms with the fact that Spurs will end above them for the first time in 21 years and are clinging on to small bits of trivia to belittle the achievements of their rivals.

The neutrals, too, have latched on to the Leicester bandwagon, finding solace in the idea that “something special” is happening this year. It is argued that the Foxes may never have a chance to replicate a run that has seen them lose only three games in 34 that they have played in the top tier of

English football

this season.

Spurs have lost Spurs have lost only one more than their competitors. That they have scored more and conceded fewer is a statistic that has been dismissed just as casually. Tales about Jamie Vardy's climb from non-league

football

have done the rounds, but Dele Alli, Tottenham's summer recruit from MK Dons who play in the third tier, has been just as influential in his team's quest. He has, arguably, provided more moments of brilliance on the field than the entire Leicester team put together. Yet, only the `romance' of seeing Claudio Ranieri's men notch wins 13 of which have been by a one-goal margin finds regular space in conversations.

The Foxes have spent more money on recruits this season. In fact, they have a £30 million deficit in sales and purchases. Spurs, meanwhile, have made a profit of £12 million in the transfer market. Of course, Spurs had a bigger kitty to start with. Tottenham last won the title in 1961. Around the same time, Goa was yet to be ceded to India by the Portuguese, Dev Anand's Hum Dono had just hit the silver screen and Mohammed Rafi's Yahoo was the hottest number doing the rounds. It's been that long. For all the arguments surrounding Spurs being a top six side, winning the league is something entirely different. The two Arsenal supporters holding the banner would irrefutably agree.

This is the greatest shot either of the two unlikely candidates will have at it, with incoming managers Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte rumoured to be given a huge war chest to bolster their respective teams ­ Manchester City and Chelsea.

There's also the thing about managers. Tottenham have not been a favourable ground for young managers to make a name for themselves. Mauricio Pochettino, who was an inspirational leader at Southampton, has become the real deal at Spurs.

Leicester isn't the only place narrating a fairytale. London has one of its own.