A routine 3-0 win at Norwich City on Tuesday evening was enough to see Tottenham Hotspur move into third place in the Premier League, just five points behind surprise leaders Leicester City with half the season gone.

Goals from Harry Kane (2) and Dele Alli gave Spurs their fifth straight win in all competitions and talk of an unlikely title push for Mauricio Pochettino’s men is only increasing as they continue to pick up results.

A Champions League spot, at the very least, looks attainable for the the north Londoners.

With Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all faltering to varying degrees, Mauricio Pochettino's side theoretically have fewer traditional rivals than ever for a place in Europe’s premier competition.

Pochettino, now in his second season at White Hart Lane after succeeding Tim Sherwood, has rightly won many plaudits for the job he has done rejuvenating Spurs.

Out went the over-paid and under-performing star names – players such as Paulinho, Emmanuel Adebayor and Younes Kaboul – and in their place Pochettino has built and exciting young side around players such as Alli, Kane and Toby Alderweireld.

Here we profile three players who could make the difference against the Hornets this afternoon.

Watford Observer:

Dele Alli: The former MK Dons midfielder’s rise from League One to England international and Premier League star has been one of the stories of the season.

The 19-year-old had been tipped for greatness virtually since he made his debut for the Dons against Cambridge City in the FA Cup in 2012.

Alli made 76 appearances for the Buckinghamshire based outfit before he was eventually signed by Spurs for £5 million – a fee which now looks a snip – in January 2015.

He returned to the Dons on loan for the remainder of the campaign and helped Karl Robinson’s side win promotion to the Championship via the League One Play-Off Final.

Few could have predicted what has followed. Alli has established himself as a mainstay of the Tottenham midfield and won the first of four England caps against Estonia in October. Bar a miracle he will surely be part of Roy Hodgson's England squad for the 2016 European Championships. 

He followed his debut for the Three Lions with a goal on his first start, coming in a 2-0 win over France. Club-mate Hugo Lloris was in goal for Les Bleus but couldn’t stop the teenager’s strike from distance.

Watford Observer:

Harry Kane: If Dele Alli is one of the Premier League’s stories of the season this year then it was Kane’s turn last year.

Having made a handful of appearances towards the end of the 2013/14 campaign under Tim Sherwood he was used sparingly during the opening weeks of last season with Pochettino preferring to use the Chingford-born 22-year-old in the cups and Europe.

However, Kane took the chances afforded to him and soon his form couldn’t be ignored any longer. Having scored eight goals in the cups before the end of October Pochettino pitched the homegrown forward into his Premier League side.

His faith was rewarded and Kane finished the season as an England international with 32 goals for club and country.

It took until September 26 and a strike in the 4-1 demolition of Manchester City at White Hart Lane for Kane to score his first club goal this season.

In that time the doubters began to emerge. However, the former Norwich City and Leicester City loanee appears to have rediscovered his form of last season and has already hit 20 for the season for club and country.

Watford Observer:

Mousa Dembele: The stylish midfielder extended his Tottenham Hotspur stay on Friday by signing a new contract to keep him at White Hart Lane until 2019.

The 28-year-old moved to England in 2010 when he joined Fulham from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.

Originally an attacking midfielder-cum-striker, the Belgian made a bright start to life at Craven Cottage, scoring on his first start in a League Cup win over Port Vale.

Two assists on his first Premier League start, against Blackpool, followed as he impressed under Martin Jol. He notched twice against Wolverhampton Wanderers to open his Fulham account before scoring against Spurs.

His form for the Cottagers caught the eye of Tottenham Hotspur and at the end of the 2012 summer transfer window he completed a £15 million move across the capital after Spurs met the release clause in his contract.

During his time at Fulham the former Germinal Beerschot and Willem II man moved further back in midfield until he eventually became the deep-lying playmaker he is today.

With good vision and a wide range of passing the languid midfielder has made 145 appearances for Spurs in all competitions, chipping in with nine goals.