It has been quite an eventful 2016 for Tottenham with the beginning of the year seeing them go so close to winning their first-ever Premier League title, before they eventually finished third behind the champions Leicester City and arch-enemies Arsenal.

Hopes were high that Spurs could once again compete for league honours this term, but they are currently in fifth spot – ten points behind the leaders and another London rival, Chelsea.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side’s aspirations haven’t been helped by the fact that top goalscorer Harry Kane – who they are heavily reliant on for goals – missed around six weeks of the campaign through injury.

That said, they are in a great position still and there is certainly less pressure on them than there was when they were real title contenders in the closing stages of last season – something they ultimately failed to deal with.

Here are THREE things that Spurs must improve on in 2017…

Sharing the goals

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One of the reasons Spurs aren’t yet competing for the Premier League title this season is obvious to see – the number of goals they have scored.

While the current top four – Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal – have netted 38, 45, 39 and 39 goals respectively, Tottenham have notched just 33 in their 18 top flight matches.

If they are going to be competing at the summit come May, then they will need to put the ball the ball into the back of the net more frequently and they need more goals from all over the pitch for this to happen.

Turning draws into wins

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One of their other main downfalls this season has been the side’s struggle to turn draws into wins.

Pochettino’s men have drawn a third of their league matches this term, including four in a row between September and October which saw them lose pace with the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool at the summit.

Spurs have won their last three home games, though, as they look to become more consistent heading into the second half of the campaign.

Pick up more points against rivals

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While Spurs are generally strong at home, if they want to compete for the Premier League title then they need to improve their away form against the sides around them in the standings.

The north London outfit have lost just two matches this season, but they came on the road against Chelsea and Manchester United, while they drew 1-1 with another of their top four rivals – Arsenal.

Pochettino’s side may need to be more adventurous on their travels if they are to pick up positive results, and they must improve when they go to the likes of Anfield and the Etihad Stadium later in the campaign.