Will Bale Twist and Turn Villa's Right Side Into Knots Tonight?

The top four positions are still up for grabs for at least six teams in the Premier League. The boys from White Hart Lane would certainly want to recapture or even better last year’s result. As a matter of fact, they are actually targeting a top three position this season. At the moment, Redknapp’s boys are fifth in the table.

After two straight draws, I think it’s high time Spurs got back into their winning ways. It’s not going to be easy, however. Aston Villa has got an excellent record at home. They’ve so far managed to take points from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea. They would certainly love to add Spurs into that list.

In the last couple of premier league matches, Tottenham hot shot, Gareth Bale, has been kept somewhat silent. Not that he was not performing. It’s just that he is not getting enough chances to display his masterpiece. Perhaps, tonight we will see him shine once again.

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However, Bale is not the only player Spurs rely on. They have Luka, Lennon and Van der Vaart. I think it’s safe to say that Harry has one of the best midfield line ups in the league at the moment. When they all click together, they can beat just about any team in the world. Villa’s Marc Albrighton, Eric Lichaj and the rest of the defense will certainly have their hands full tonight.

Are we going to see all four Bale, Modric, Van der Vaart and Lennon at midfield tonight?

Spurs could do well to win this game. It would put them at 30 points. just one point behind Chelsea. Two points behind Arsenal. Chelsea and Arsenal face each other on Monday. A draw between them will certainly make the third and fourth placing race very interesting indeed.

Are You A Spurs #1 Fan?

Can the Spurs fans even dream of landing the league title this year? I’d say.. Why Not?

However, for tonight, I’m going for Spurs winning it by 3-1. What’s your take?

Come On You Spurs!

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Spurs have got another great challenge coming up today. Later today (00:00 early tomorrow morning Malaysian Time), they go up against the reigning champion, Chelsea. The match will definitely be intense for sure. Chelsea needs a win badly after their recent bad results in the league. Tottenham would certainly want to win this game too.

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At home in White Hart Lane, Tottenham have been almost invincible this season. They have a 8-3-2 home record so far in all competition. They have already defeated great teams like Inter Milan and Liverpool at home. I’m very sure they’d want to add Chelsea into that list tonight.

The boys from White Hart Lane is now on a 7 games unbeaten streak. The longest they have had this season. The streak has seen them rising up on the Barclay’s Premier League table. They are now fifth in the league. Just four points behind Chelsea.

A win against Chelsea tonight will certainly make the race for the top three very interesting. At the moment, Chelsea has 30 point. Spurs is at fifth with 26 points. Winning this match will bring Spurs closer to overcoming Chelsea.

What are the odds of Spurs winning tonight’s match? Well, personally, I am going for Spurs winning it 2-1. Gareth Bale and Defoe getting one each for Tottenham and Anelka netting his first league goal for Chelsea since August. The White Hart Lane too, has not been a happy hunting ground for Chelsea. They have not won a Premier League match at the Lane since 2005.

Chelsea would certainly want to win this game. With United playing Arsenal on Monday, a win tonight would bring them back to the top at least until Monday night. Should the top two end up with a draw, then Chelsea would top the table once again.

Recent performances and results all point to a Spurs victory tonight. With that said, Harry and the boys must also not take Chelsea’s recent performances lightly. Yes, they are under a slightly rough patch at the moment. Still, the notion that they can be on top of the league again if they win tonight may provide them with that extra drive to win.

Harry, Bale, Luka, Van Der Vaart, Defoe, Gallas and the rest will have a tough game in their hands tonight. They need to be at their utmost best to get the result they want.

Come On You Spurs!

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The first record breaking feat. Look at this result – Arsenal 2 – 3 Tottenham. Yes! Spurs winning at the Emirates. It’s really been quite a while since the last time Spurs won away when playing against the top 4 team in the league.

However, this win over Arsenal in the Emirates is extra special since it is a Derby game. Even better, Arsenal was leading 2-0 at the half. What ever Harry Redknapp said to the players during the break, it worked wonders for the team. Kudos to Harry.

The second record. Qualifying for the Champions League second round. They did it in true Tottenham style too. By trashing the title holder 3-1 at White Hart Lane. Spurs secured their ticket into the second round after winning 3-0 at home against Werder Bremen. With a game to spare against FC Twente, Spurs are now thinking about topping the group.

Following are posts and articles about Tottenham Hotspurs from around the Internet and the Blogosphere:

Tottenham Hotspurs seal Van der Vaart transfer | The Soccer Room

LONDON. English Premier League club Tottenham were allowed to sign Rafael van der Vaart from Real Madrid on Wednesday after their last-ditch move for the Dutch playmaker on deadline …

Tottenham Hotspurs seal Van der Vaart transfer | The Soccer Room

LONDON â ” English Premier League club Tottenham were allowed to sign Rafael van der Vaart from Real Madrid on Wednesday after their last-ditch move for the Dutch playmaker on deadline …

Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool

Damn after the sweet wins against arsenal and bremen I cant wait for this game! Liverpool are in great form getting 14 points in their last 6 matches.

Tottenham Hotspurs 3.0 Werder Bremem – 24th November 2011

Tottenham Hotspurs 3.0 Werder Bremem – 24th November 2011. Matchday 5 highlights, plus bonus interviews at the end! From: cazz2708. Views: 87. 0 ratings. Time: 04:52, More in Sports.

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool: match preview

Read a full match preview of the Premier League game between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at White Hart Lane on Sunday Nov 28 2010, kick-off 16:00 GMT.

Tottenham Boss Harry Redknapp Compares William Gallas To Bobby Moore

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has showered praise on William Gallas by comparing him to legendary England defender Bobby Moore.

Lineker: Bale can be world class

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Gary Lineker believes that the club have potential to become one of “the great Spurs sides”.

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool: My View

Just a quick blog from me. Phil Thompson, former Liverpool coach believes Liverpool can exploit Tottenham’s frailties which lie mostly in the defence.

Werder’s Original

It’s been little over three days since the universe burst from its centre on hearing that Tottenham had finally outdone one of the Sky4 on the road.

The journey continues

Tottenham’s regeneration from 3-0 down in 30 minutes against Young Boys in August to second round qualification with a game to spare is scarcely believable.

‘This is just the start’ – Crouchy

Peter Crouch believes qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League is just the start of what we can achieve in the competition.

This week, Spurs have Liverpool to think about. The last time they won in the Champions League, they dropped their Premier League game. I hope that doesn’t happen this time around.

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Tottenham Players Celebrate Dawson's Goal At Everton

What do you Spurs fans think about last nights game? I am a tad disappointed with the way Tottenham played. They started the match, in both halves, positively. Somehow the positive football seemed to wane away each half.

In the first 15 minutes or so of both halves, Spurs had Everton pinned down in their backyard. However, they would then slowly allow Everton to get back into the match. Not only that, they would allow Everton to dictate the pace of the match. You can clearly see Spurs players playing catch up to Everton.

Seriously, for the past two matches, Spurs are not playing their usual game. Passes are rushed and went everywhere but to Spurs players. The central midfielders are just not winning enough balls. Yes, they do great tackles once in a while. That’s just not good enough. For Tottenham to uphold their stand in the top four, the midfielders need to buckle up. They must make the effort to win all the balls that come their way.

I think they lack the desire to win tackles. Here’s what I’m getting at. Ever seen how Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes or any other MU players play at midfield? They chase every single ball that comes their way. If they miss a tackle, they would be up an chasing the ball in an instant. That’s the attitude which is lacking in the Spurs players.

Through out the Everton match, I see players either walking or just looking at the ball if they missed a tackle. It’s just so frustrating.

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Jermaine Defoe Tries To Chip The Ball Past Tim Howard

Michael Dawson once again showed he has a head for goals. Twice now,in consecutive matches, he scored from headers. Last night he also showed his flare as he presented Spurs with the second goal with a brilliant diving header.

Defensive midfield is not Tottenham’s only problem. The defense is another problematic area. Gareth Bale is simply not up to it last night. Everton’s Seamus Coleman practically ran circles around him which even resulted in Everton’s first goal. I’d have to say that Spurs will need to get at least another strong defender come the next transfer window.

Harry need to realize that the current squad is still far from good enough to make a challenge for the top four. I am also beginning to doubt Harry’s tactical decisions. Why didn’t he make any changes to the first team at all? Yes, it’s the team that went on a rampage against Wigan. However, it’s also the same team that drew with Aston Villa a week back. A little bit of change would surely have been good. A couple of fresh legs, at the very least, don’t you think?

Anyway, the two points dropped means Tottenham is now fourth in the league with 27 points. One point behind third placed Arsenal (28pts). Hot on our tail are Aston Villa (26pts), Man City (25pts) and Liverpool (24pts). Man City and Arsenal both have one game in hand. A pretty tight race for the third and fourth place indeed.

What are the areas where Harry needs to work on? Share your thoughts with me in here.

Come On You Spurs!

It’s the holidays. Still time to get your Spurs Gifts For The Holidays!

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Tottenham players celebrates with Defoe

Jermaine Defoe bags in 5 goals as Tottenham Hotspur went on a 9 goal fest over Wigan in the Barclays Premier League match yesterday. A total of 10 goals were scored and 9 of them in the second half. A preview of the things to come in upcoming Spurs matches?

Looking at the total number of goals scored, you would think that some of it were scored in the first half. That is simply not the case. Spurs started off strong. Peter Crouch played a pivotal role in the first few Tottenham attempts at goal. His goal, however, came only after missing the target in two earlier attempts. In the eighth minute, Aaron Lennon sent in an early low cross into the box to find Crouch stooping low to guide the ball into the net.

The revitalized Spurs side, wearing their White Tottenham Home Kit, continued to pressure the Wigan defense. Wigan’s goal tender Chris Kirkland had his work cut out for him. Leftback Erik Edman and Center back Titus Bramble were clearly having problems containing the Spurs frontmen and Aaron Lennon. Wigan had Kirkland and the woodwork to thank for keeping them very much alive in the first half as the scoreline stood at 1 – 0 at the interval.

The second half proved to be an incredible 45 minutes for Spurs. Nobody would have expected what was to transpire in that 45 minutes of football. Tottenham delivered a performance that will be remembered in the history of the Premier League.

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Tottenham's Defoe Celebrates Goal vs Wigan

5 minutes into the half, Wigan found themselves 2 goals down. Defoe’s first for the night came from Lennon’s cross from the right. In an almost similar fashion to the first goal, Lennon worked his way on the right past Edman and sent in a superb cross into the box.  Defoe rushed in towards the ball and whizzed past his marker to meet the ball with a half volley straight into the top of the net. Kirkland could do nothing as he watched the ball sail over him into goal.

Two minutes later, Defoe capitalized on a mistake by Wigan’s Emmerson Boyce. Boyce slipped as he tried to intercept a Wilson Palacios pass from midfield. As he slipped, the on rushing Defoe was left clear on the ball with only Kirkland in front at the goal. The in-form striker was not about to waste this chance and he cleanly slotted the ball pass a hapless Kirkland from a tight angle for his second. Barely 7 minutes into the half Spurs were 3 goals ahead.

Defoe would go on to score three more goals to complete his tally of five for the night. Just one short of becoming the first player to score a double hatrick in a single match. His five goals in the game also puts him in the record books as the third player to achieve such a feat in the Premier League. He is, however, the first player to score five in just one half of a match. Yes, I know. It’s remarkable.

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Tottenham's Aaron Lennon vs Wigan 2009

Aaron Lennon proved that Spurs are indeed a different team when he is around. After being the provider for three of the four Tottenham goals, he scored one himself. Crouch held the ball superbly at the top of the box with Wigan defenders all around him. Finding no where to go, he slid the ball to the right where Lennon was all alone with no markers. On the run, Lennon let out a low shot to the far right of the Wigan goal for his first goal and Spurs’ fifth.

Two more goals each from David Bentley and Niko Kranjcar completed Tottenham’s  route of Wigan.

The win showcases the influence Aaron Lennon has on Tottenham. With Lennon and Kranjcar performing at the right and left, Tottenham’s attack is more potent and dangerous. Both of them like to take on defenders and are good at it too. Defenders will have their wor cut out to cover the two. As a result, the two strikers wil have a little bit more space for themselves.

It’s been a while since I last saw Tottenham play as they did against Wigan. If they can produce the same briliance in the remaining of the season, I believe a top three if not top two finish is possible. Consistency will be the key. If they can be consistent, then we’ll get to see them perhaps challenging for the title, instead of just top four placement.

Come On You Spurs!

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Tottenham Celebrates vs Sunderland

Tottenham, sporting their White Tottenham Home Kit, needed a win after coming off two straight losses. The team, however, did not play really well. Despite playing at home, it was Sunderland who seemed more comfortable with the ball. Spurs was just not in tune with themselves. With Peter Crouch starting, they opted for the usual highball for Crouchy to nod down to someone.

Keane Connects With Crouchy

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Tottenham's Robbie Keane Celebrates

The goal did nothing to change the momentum of the game. It can clearly be seen that Spurs lack direction at midfield. Jermain Jennas did make a few attempts to carry the ball forward. He showed that he has good ball control. However, when it matters, he failed to make that pass to the open strikers. He just don’t have the vision.

Sunderland was clearly the better team in the first half. Andy Reid, was unlucky that his long range attempt hit the post with Gomes clearly beaten by the strike. Apart from that one strike, Gomes proved to be the one solid wall preventing Sunderland from scoring. Even when his defenders failed him.

Vedran Corluka, sent a weak header back to Gomes which was intercepted by an onrushing Keiran Richardson. Richardson was clear on goal. Thankfully, Gomes was quick to come off his line and prevented Richardson from scoring.

The second half didn’t fare any better. The fans booing at the interval had no effect on the team. They were clearly at a lost in terms of creativity. It’s really amazing to see Sunderland still down by a goal. They have thus far been the better team in the match.

Along Came Kranjcar

Niko Kranjcar’s entry in the match changed the match. Spurs now have an extra man in midfield. Tottenham began to play better football. They gained more control of the ball. Instead of just laying the ball up for Crouch, they are now moving up from the flanks and sending in crosses into the Sunderland goal area. Spurs are playing better football.

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Tottenham's Jermain Defoe vs Sunderland

It probably was not Sunderland’s day. They were pretty much in control of the match for the most part of the game. They had more goal scoring chances. They even had a penalty awarded to them. They just couldn’t beat Gomes.

Darren Bent was awarded a penalty in the second half. Although replays showed that he seemed to have fallen even before Gomes touched him. Bent himself took the spot kick. Truthfully, it was not a really good kick. The ex Spurs, delivered a weak low kick to the left of the goal. Gomes guessed right and palmed the ball away. He didn’t even have to stretch for it.

Top Four For How Long?

Tottenham is now fourth in the table with 22 points. 3 points behind Arsenal and United at 25 points. Arsenal has one match in hand. Chelsea sits pretty at the top of the league with 30 points after beating United 1 – 0 at Stamford Bridge. Aston Villa is one point behind Spurs as they routed Bolton 5 -1 at home.

The upcoming International break is certainly a welcome break for the team. It should provide some time for Spurs to regroup and recollect themselves as a team. Harry should really do something to beef up the current lack of vision in midfield.

The absence of Luca Modric and Aaron Lennon can clearly be seen. Keane is certainly not up to filling up his role as a wide attacking midfield. He is much better of sitting up top. Yes, he did score. However, apart from that, he barely made any impact.

Kranjca should be given more playing time. He certainly made enough impact to turn the momentum for Spurs. What about Pavlyuchenko? Lets see a little bit more of the two. Don’t you think that Kranjca deserves more playing time?

Can Spurs maintain their stay in the top four if they continue to play like this? Come On You Spurs!

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Tottenham L.King Celebrates vs Portsmouth

Tottenham Hotspurs kept up with the Barclays Premier League leaders with another away win against Portsmouth. The 1 – 2 away win puts them at third spot with 19 points after 9 games. 3 points behind leader Manchester United and 2 points behind second spot Chelsea.

The trip to Pompey was H. Redknapp’s first visit after leaving Portsmouth. Along with the likes of J.Defoe and P.Crouch, who also made their first return trip to Fratton Park after their short stint there.

Two goals in the first half secured Spurs the win. Ledley King, coming off his injury, headed in the first goal. A. Lennon’s hard work on the right side gave Spurs a corner just before the 30 minute mark. Tottenham’s new signing N. Kranjcar floated in a highball. L. King majestically rose above every one else to nod the ball home past an indecisive D. James.

Tottenham Defoe Celebrates vs Portsmouth

Minutes later, J. Jenas made short work of the Pompey defense as he combined with Tom Huddlestone just outside the penalty box. J. Jenas then squared a low shot into the box. J. Defoe made sure that he managed to touch the ball with his toe to put Spurs in front by two goals.

Portsmouth came back more lively in the second half. Former Tottenham, K.P. Boateng cut the deficit with a strong volley from the left that finally beat a seemingly unbeatable H. Gomes.

The Spurs keeper, basically single handedly kept Spurs from losing the 3 points they had. If not for the heroics of H. Gomes, Spurs would have probably lost their 2 goal cushion. It was indeed a night of superb goal tending by Gomes. Even when it seemed like the ball would go in after he was wrong footed by a diverted attempt at goal. Gomes somehow managed to get a hand to swipe the ball away from goal.

J. Defoe saw red in the second half after stumbling down with Pompey’s A. Mokoena. An act which he has apologized for doing. A purely worthless act which could have costs Spurs the three points they were hanging on to.

Spurs is certainly putting on a strong challenge for the title, so far, this season. They have been able to find it in them to win games even when they are missing their playmaker L. Modric. If the team continues to play this way, then a top four finish is certainly within their reach.

Come On You Spurs!

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Tottenham’s winning streak was cut short by Manchester United. United came back from a goal down to win 1 – 3 at White Hart Lane. The best thing Harry Redknapp can do after the loss should be to study and learn from the match. Go through the match video with the team and identify their areas of shortcomings in the match.

I’ve just watched the match again on ESPN. Following are my 7 reasons why Tottenham crashed against United.

1. 4-3-3 Formation Leaving Spurs Wide Open

Why? Why? Why did Harry put up a 4-3-3 formation against the likes of Manchester United? Especially with Modric in the crock list. Palacios, Lennon and Huddlestone were clearly outmatched against the likes of Fletcher, Anderson, Scholes and Giggs in midfield.

With only three Tottenham White Shirts manning the midfield, Tottenham looked and was indeed too open for Manchester United. MU had the numbers and the talents to take control of the midfield. As such, Tottenham spent a major part of the match defending. Lacking midfield coverage, defensive clearances go straight back to United players. As such, the ball keep on coming back to haunt Spurs defenders.

2. Aaron Lennon Kept On A Leash

Lennon is probably one of the most nimble players in the league. He has been running circles around defenders since the start of the season. However, Evra managed to keep him quiet for the most part of the game.

Against Evra, Lennon faced a left back who can match his speed and footwork. They both possesses similar playing traits which cancels out each other.

Harry should have noticed this. I suppose he did. If so, why didn’t he tell Lennon to switch to the left side more often? Maybe he did. Perhaps Lennon did not play to Harry’s instruction?

3. Minute Possession

Through out the earlier 4 matches, Tottenham enjoyed most of the possession time. They had control of the ball. They passed the ball around, waited and created the openings for the strikers to score.

“We didn’t get our game going, we didn’t get our passing going and as a consequence they got back into the game. They are a top, top team and punished us.”

- Spurs Assistant Boss, Kevin Bond -

In the match against United, Tottenham had little possession of the ball. Whenever they had possession, they would give it away cheaply at midfield. Many a times, Spurs relied on long passes from the defense. These deep passes often go wasted as Tottenham players were nowhere to be found in United’s half.

Had they been more patient with the ball and kept possession, they would’ve been able to frustrate United a little bit. However, it was Spurs who grew frustrated as they had little possession. When frustration creeps in, mistakes happen. Against a team like Manchester United, mistakes are certainly costly.

4. Substitution

Anyone have any idea to why Pavlyuchenko was left on the bench? Especially on a day when the strikers clearly failed to make full use of the chances presented? Did Corluka suffer an injury?

United was certainly not pressing forward a lot after Scholes’ sending off. Evra spent more time making sure Lennon was quiet. Rarely did he venture forward to trouble Corluka. Why was he substituted?

I feel sorry for Hutton. That’s twice now he has been involved in Tottenham’s moments of defensive confusion which lead to a goal. In last week’s match against Birmingham, he was involved in the blunder in defense where Lee Bowyer scored the equalizer for Birmingham. This time around, he was again involved in the confusion which Rooney took full advantage of with his goal.

Wrong place at the wrong time? Where was King anyway?

5. Midfield Creativity, The Missing Link

Spurs is certainly missing Modric’s creativity and defense splitting passes at midfield. The situation was made worse with Lennon being kept quiet by Evra. Keane, assigned to the Modric role, was clearly not up to it.

Palacios and Huddlestone are not known for their creativity. Jenas did bring back some punch into the Spurs engine room. However, his presence only spurred just a little creativity back into the team. It was not enough to break United’s wall of defense. Yes, United did go into defensive mode after Scholes saw red.

6. Two Steps Behind

Is it only me? Do any of you noticed that Spurs players seemed to be two steps behind United’s? Through out most of the match, United seemed to win tackles and getting to the ball ahead of Tottenham’s players. Were United simply faster and more alert?

“We didn’t seem to be able to get close to them. If you let them play they will always hurt you and that’s what happened.”

- Tottenham striker, Peter Crouch -

Tottenham players, for the most part of the match seemed to be in a daze. On many occassions, they were caught ball watching. It’s among the reason why United enjoyed more possession time. They were winning the ball more often than Spurs.

7. United’s Winning Wherewithall

Time and time again, United showed they have the wherewithall of champions. This they showed so many times against Spurs. How many times have United comeback from behind to win against Spurs? Too many.

No matter how many goals Spurs are up in front, United have always shown that they can comeback and win the game. Tottenham should take to learning about the mindset of United’s players. If Spurs want to really challenge for the top 4 spot, then they will need to instill the top 4 mindset into the players.

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Skills and talent wise, there is not much different between Manchester and Tottenham. Thus, the only differentiating factor is the players’ mindset. To become champions, they must have a champion’s mindset. At the moment, that’s probably the one thing lacking in Tottenham’s players.

What Comes Next?

I am pretty sure Harry has already identified the team’s shortcomings. They need to be worked on before Tottenham’s next match. Up next for Spurs is another top four opponent. Chelsea is Tottenham’s next opponent. Spurs will be wearing the Tottenham Away Kit and travel to Stamford Bridge to go against the current league leader.

Chelsea is one of the two remaining teams with a 100% winning record so far in the league. This match will be another difficult test for Harry’s boys. Do you think Spurs will turn the table against Chelsea?

Go Spurs!

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The Hammers started the match inspired. After two straight 0-4 loss in the EPL, they pushed hard into the Tottenham side and created early scoring chances. They almost went ahead early in the half, but was foiled twice by a determined P.Robinson. The Hammer’s inspired run dwindled down following Tottenham’s first goal, 8 minutes into the match.

Off a freekick from the right flank, T.Huddlestone sent in a powerful swerving freekick into the area. D.Berbetov, unmarked, raise up high to direct the ball into the Hammer’s net. Hammer’s R.Green could only watch as the ball sailed swiftly past him into the far corner of his goal. Barely three minutes later, the two Tottenham players connected once again for the second of the night. This time, from the left flank. T.Huddlestone let fly another swerving freekick into the penalty area. D.Berbatov was there once again rushing onto the ball and directing it past R.Green for his second of the night. From then on, it was all Tottenham.

The Hammer’s had to rely on a sporadic possession as Tottenham take control of the match. They passed the the ball all over the pitch and maintained possession to frustrate the Hammers. The Hammer’s faced another blow when L.Boa Morte was given the marching order just before half for a second bookable offence. Thus, at half time, West Ham was a man and two goals down.

Spurs brought in Gilberto and D.Bent in the middle of the second half. The two proved to be excellent substitutions as they both scored a goal each in the dying miutes of the second half.  Off a P.Chimbonda’s pass and a dummy by A.Lennon, Gilberto slotted in his EPL debut goal with a turning shot into the far corner of the Hammer’s goal, past the outstretched hands of R.Green. D.Bent scored his 100th goal with a header four minutes into stoppage time.

The win, however, did not change the table position of both teams.  They are both still sitting pretty at the 10th and 11th position in the EPL table, with 40 and 35 points each.

Tottenham has been very inconsistent this season. However, after a problematic early season, they seem to be heeading for a better future under J.Ramos.

For a more detailed coverage of the match, head on over to the official EPL match coverage of the game. Go Tottenham Hotspurs!!!

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As United paid tribute to the Busby Babes, donning the classic United jersey of that era, City stole the limelight of the day by standing firm against the onslaught of United’s second half pressure. Both City goals were scored in the first half. The first, by Darrius Vassel after being given a second attempt at goal. His first was parried by Van der Sar straight into his path for the second time.

Just before the half, City stroke again. This time it was Benjani, in his debut match for City. Off a cross by Petrov from the right, Benjani’s minute flick on was enough to guide the ball pass every one into the United goal. Thus, at half time, it was United 0 – 2 City.

United gave their all in the second half. Putting tremendous pressure on the City defense. City stood firm. All United could muster was a consolation goal deep in injury time. M. Carrick drove a thunderous right footer from the edge of the box.

It was United’s 50th Anniversary of the Munich air disaster. City however, stole the limelight with a historic feat of their own. It’s their first win in Old Trafford since 1974.

Over at Pride Park, Derby’s woeful season continues as they fall prey to Spurs’ second half awakening. Both teams failed to put anything on the score sheet in the first. Chances were many, but none were converted into goals by neither teams.

Halfway through the second half, R. Keane made his mark by stabbing home from close range. S. Malbranque let out a fiery shot from the top of the box. Roy Carrol could only parry it into the path of the oncoming R.Keane. Keane, thus, gleefully stab the ball home for his 19th goal of the season.

Late in the second, with only 8 minutes left, A.Lennon’s corner found Chimbonda who guided his header towards Kaboul. Kaboul then sidestepped a defender before letting out his scorcher into the left corner of the goal for Spurs’ second of the night. D. Berbatov, later added the icing by converting a penalty in time added on.

In Villa Park, Newcastle continued to struggle for that highly elusive first win for Keegan. M. Owen, once again got his name on the score sheet as he headed home Milner’s cross just four minutes into the game. Then it all went downhill for them as Villa’s J. Carew recorded his hattrick and Bouma scoring his first ever goal for Villa after 3 years or service.

Here’s how the weekend matches fared:

• Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
• Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City
• West Ham United 1-1 Birmingham City
• Everton 1-0 Reading
• Derby County 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur
• Sunderland 2-0 Wigan Athletic
• Middlesbrough 1-0 Fulham
• Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Portsmouth
• Aston Villa 4-1 Newcastle United

Go Tottenham Hotspurs!!!

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