All you get from Harry Kane is goals, but Spurs are still the best team in the league - Paul Parker

You just look at every area - they are so strong. They’re don’t have that something sparkling these days, that cherry on top, the sort of glamour player they had in yesteryear –a Glenn Hoddle or an Ossie Ardiles – but they are better for it. You almost used to be a Spurs type of player – happy-go-lucky, a bit arrogant, flash – who’d go out and win every four games and shine in the cups. But these days there’s more stability, more mental strength and more physical strength.

That new quality is especially true in midfield, where they are extremely strong in a number of different ways. They don’t have one outstanding all-rounder, but in Mousa Dembele they have probably the best midfielder on the ball in the Premier League; they’ve got somebody who can see a pass with his back to goal in Christian Eriksen; and then they’ve got Dele Alli, who makes those clever runs in behind. He’s always looking to get forward – even further forward than Harry Kane a lot of the time, making him the furthest up the pitch. He can play a multitude of roles, which makes him incredibly useful.

And then of course you’ve got Kane, who’s always a threat. No matter how well his game’s going – and he certainly doesn’t always have great games – he’s still a threat in front of goal.

When he scores goals he can say he’s had a great game, but that’s Harry Kane for you. He’s not usually in the game that much, you don’t get much in terms of build-up play from him, he’s not particularly quick and his movement isn’t that great… but he scores the goals and that’s what he is - a proven goalscorer and somebody they trust to deliver that.

Now that Spurs have got him back fit there’s a bit more belief around the team and you can see that. The other players know he can score goals even when you don’t expect him to, and the defenders are aware of that too, leaving space for the other Spurs attackers. It makes them a very dangerous attacking side.

In terms of the back-four they are the best in the Premier League.

Spurs are nicely put together defensively. They’ve got two great attacking full-backs who are pretty secure defensively too. The centre-backs are excellent, particularly Toby Alderweireld, whose passes from deep are great. He’s got the best long pass I’ve seen for many a year. And then alongside him there’s Jan Vertonghen, who’s as solid as any centre-half in the division. Kevin Wimmer’s not a bad defender either, it’s just not playing regular football that hinders him. And then there’s Eric Dier who’s a good player, but he can’t get in the midfield at the moment because of how brilliantly Victor Wanyama and Dembele are playing. That defensive side is a real strength.

The number of chances Spurs give away is a great indication of how good that defence is. Look at Manchester United last season. People were saying how good their defence was, but if you remember how many times David de Gea had to make saves that will tell you that the back four weren’t really doing their job.

But the back four of Tottenham is incredibly consistent.

The only time Mauricio Pochettino changes that defence is when they get a serious injury, but as soon as they’re fit again he brings them back in, there’s no taking his time with it. And there’s a good reason for that, which Chelsea and Spurs have shown this season: continuity. That’s a massively important thing for a defence, it makes a big, big difference.

When Mourinho was at Chelsea he never changed the team… but at Manchester United he’s chopping and changing all over the place. Maybe that’s because he hasn’t brought in enough players, but his constant changes are impacting badly on the team.

Chelsea don’t want to play Tottenham – I’m sure of that. They don’t enjoy playing against Tottenham because tactically Pochettino knows how to beat them – just look at what he did at White Hart Lane. But they 'outstrengthed' them that day as well – Costa never got a look in. He gave up because he couldn’t get anything.

Somebody in the league has got to show some balls if Chelsea aren’t going to run away with this. But the only team that I see as being capable of that, the only team that gave them huge problems head-to-head, and they only team that ever looked likely to end their unbeaten run was Tottenham.