Aston Villa 1 – 2 Arsenal Match Report

1st half observations from a bad stream

The first 45 minutes were pretty different from what I expected. Aston Villa did not close us down frantically and allowed Arsenal plenty of space. Especially Gervinho and Theo saw plenty of the ball, as Villa sat deep in the beginning, allowing our wingers to attack them from the sides.

THFC1882 welcomes another guest writer on board. This time it's Glen Bocking. Glen is an Essex boy but now lives in Stoke so is handily placed to attend this game. Glen's first Spurs memories are the '91 FA Cup semi and final! Great start to his Spurs watching!

Stoke vs Tottenham 2-1 Highlights 2011 Goals Etherington Kaboul Red Video Chris Foy Referee is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Stoke vs Tottenham 2-1 Highlights 2011 Goals Etherington Kaboul Red Video Chris Foy Referee is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Stoke vs Tottenham 2011 ( Stoke v Spurs video below) Final score and result:- Stoke vs Tottenham 2-1 ( Matthew Etherington*2/ Adebayor penalty) 11-12-2011- December 11, 2011- 16.

Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland, White Hart Lane, Sunday 18th December, 3pm Kick off

So on Thursday night Spurs European adventure for this season came to an end, despite a 4-0 win at Shamrock. The perceived wisdom is that this is a blessing in disguise and can leave Harry Redknapp and his team to concentrate on getting Spurs back into the Champions League.

Maxi Rodrigues scored his second goal in nine days against Chelsea on Tuesday night as Liverpool recorded a comfortable win at Stamford Bridge, yet despite his fantastic record over the last nine starts, the Argentinean still struggles to get into the team.
Let's look at the facts: In the last 9 starts, Maxi has scored 10 goals and provided 1 assist.

Bolton sit just the wrong side of the relegation line and their fans are really not up for this game. After reading almost 20 pages of various Bolton forums, I couldn't find one fan who was seriously suggesting they could actually win this game.
The have some very thin striking options after Sturridge and Elmander left at the end of last season, compounded by some defensive injuries and suspensions forcing them into playing Zat Knight.

THFC1882 gives a debut to Siva who previews the Bolton game for us. Siva has been a Spurs fan all his life and as the man puts it himself he was born with lilywhite in his vains! The first game Siva remembers was when he was 5 or 6, Ledley King (or Mr Spurs for Siva) is his favourite player and he likes a drink in the Bell and Hare pre match.

Aloha and good morning. Just a quick one from me. What to say about Bolton? Not a great deal if I can help it. In his comparatively short turn at t'Reebok, Owen Coyle's managerial stock has fallen somewhat rapidly. From the Glaswegian Wenger to Sue Barker in the time it takes to polish and glue in those unfeasibly white teeth.

THFC1882 presents Siva's guest report on yesterdays action:

Tottenham: Friedel; Walker, Kaboul, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon (van der Vaart 72), Parker (Livermore 85), Modric, Bale; Defoe, Adebayor

Goals: Bale 7, Lennon 50, Defoe 61

Well that was easy.

THFC1882 presents Siva's guest report on yesterdays action:

Tottenham: Friedel; Walker, Kaboul, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon (van der Vaart 72), Parker (Livermore 85), Modric, Bale; Defoe, Adebayor

Goals: Bale 7, Lennon 50, Defoe 61

Well that was easy.

Over the past few years Arsenal have had some exceptional players. For all the bemoaning of the lack of trophies, there has remained a bountiful supply of top talent strutting their stuff at the Emirates Cesc Fabregas remains the best young midfielder in Europe, one we kept for seven years, and we have more that could be labelled 'amongst the best in their position, or for their age' the likes of Vermaelen, Van Persie and Wilshere can certainly be counted in those categories, with others knocking on the door.

Harry Redknapp has a few injury concerns ahead of Sunday's game with Stoke but the extra day could give Ledley King, Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale the time they need to get fit.

There is cover in place for King and JD but Harry will certainly be reluctant to take to the field without Bale, who is back to his best and scored both goals here in our 2-1 win last season.

Hi everyone,
As most of you have seen the game between Stoke and Tottenham there were a few questionable decisions made by the referee Chris Foy.
First I think its right to talk about Peter Crouch's handling of the ball before setting up the goal. It could be said that the referee did not have a clear view of the incident, however the fact that the assistant referee could have signaled should not be ignored.

Despite temporary setbacksCinderella always triumphs in the end. The Pantomime season started on Sunday this year with Cinderella at the Britannia Palace with your very own Mr. Christopher Foy playing Baron Hardup. There are several candidates for the Ugly Sisters, Petunia and Nasturtium. (Petty and Nasty) Shawcross and Whitehead will do for me.

Quiet rumours about a Tottenham move for Manchester City's Carlos Tevez have been appearing in the press since the start of the season and while there was a brief acceleration in the stories after the Argentinean's alleged refusal to come on as sub in Munich, most Spurs fans have rightly ignored them.

What Now For Fernando Torres? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Fernando Torres, once renowned as one of the most feared strikers in world football now finds himself in a disastrous situation. Almost one year since his record breaking £50 million move to Chelsea, Torres has scored mere 5 goals i.

I pressed the fire control... and ahead of me rockets blazed through the sky...

No sooner had I popped a decomposed pigeon heart in an envelope and scrawled FAO Chris Foy on the side with my own blood, (actually it was just red biro- I'm not a monster) I'm hearing word that Tottenham are ready to set off a dirty great rocket under their wage ceiling to sign facially challenged frontman, Carlos Tevez.

Harry's pre-match comments have pretty much given us the starting line up for tonight but there are still some gaps to fill in,

"I was doing a little bit of work with them this morning and there's seven internationals in there," said Harry.

"Defoe is here, Gio Dos Santos, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Kaboul, Pienaar, Niko, Sandro, they will all play.

Injuries and suspension at the centre of defence could force Harry Redknapp to bring back Ledley King for Sunday's game against Martin O'Neill's side. Harry reports that Ledley is struggling but we've been in this position before where the club captain makes an unexpected return to the line up.

When Aaron Lennon limped out of yesterday's action on 27 minutes, it must have been tempting for manager Harry Redknapp to look at the midfield alternatives he had waiting on the bench.

Either Niko Kranjcar or Steven Pienaar could have been a more obvious choice but Harry's positive move of putting Roman Pavlyuchenko on the pitch was to eventually pay off.

It's a fact that I think will divide opinion amongst Chelsea fans, Spurs fans and even football neutrals right now. Chelsea had a hoodoo over Spurs for years and called their patch "three point lane" but you have to admit we can't call it that anymore can we.
Spurs (no matter what your bias is) have done great under Harry Redknapp considering that some of them didn't want him!

Harry Redknapp has hinted at another quiet January for Spurs fans but is this just a smokescreen or will the dealings at White Hart Lane next month really mirror those of 2011?

In goal, there are no immediate problems but if Heurelho Gomes does leave, it may make sense to look for a permanent replacement for Brad Friedel now, rather than later.

Tonight is one of those games you look for when the fixture list comes out, added to that it's being played on a Thursday night, it has all the makings of being a cracker!.
Regular readers of my website would have seen various posts from me this week ahead of the game. I have asked who would come out on top between Mata & Modric, asked if it's a fact that Chelsea are now underdogs heading into the game tonight, asked who starts the game for Chelsea tonight, focused on the other midfield battle at White Hart Lane, commented on the news that David Luiz is out injured and who should replace him and finally posted a video promo this morning.

Crunch time. This one could not be much bigger if it were written in size 72 font, stretched in a rack and then injected with muscle-steroid-type-things by that Russian giant of a chap David Haye beat a couple of years back. It's not just the three points, which would give us a five-point platform from which to wave down at Chelski, with a game in hand.

By Chris Wright

"Well hello there young lady"

I watched the Tottenham-Chelsea game in the boozer last night so, praise be to Allah, there's another drunken and completely verbatim match report heading your way...

◊ John Terry wearing WHITE boots.

This isn't going to be overly analytical of the game, THFC1882 is about to go on it's Christmas holidays! Before that though we take a brief look at Tottenham Hotspur versus Chelsea from The Lane.

On the balance of play both sides will have been satisfied with a point.

A failed human being but a half decent centre half We laid out our credentials; they received a rigorous examination and were eventually stamped and handed back with the words 'Pretty damn good'. Top London team at Xmas for the first time in 15yrs and 3rd for the first time in a lot longer, possibly 50yrs.

With so many hamstring injuries at the Lane this week the team for tonight virtually picks itself. The big news once again is with Rafael van der Vaart whose scan seemed to give the Dutchman the green light to return to the starting XI.

Before the game, Harry spoke about VDV and gave some news about other recent injury victims.

Apologies for the tardiness – AANP Towers has been overrun by tiny people the last few days...

And it had all begun so well. Our lot spent the opening minutes pinging the ball between themselves with such dizzying rapidity that the only time a Chelski touched the thing in the opening ten minutes was that lad on halfway, who was promptly crunched by Sandro, releasing Bale to release Adebayor for our goal.

Still sitting in third place behind the two Manchester sides, who are leading the table, Tottenham Hotspurs are feeling that they have a legitimate shot in competing for the title challenge but in order to make things easier they need something more.

According to the Lilywhites' manager, Harry Redknapp, it would be much better for his team if they can grab a big name signing this January, as that superstar can lift the team's performance into the same level as the two Manchester teams.

By Alan Duffy

Norwich City 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur Premier League 27th December 2011

It's fair to say that Gareth Bale, for the last couple of seasons, has been the subject of more hype and superlatives than most footballers in the Premier League.

By Alan Duffy

On Boxing Day, Martin O'Neill's Sunderland were a goal ahead and looking to pick up all three points against Everton when, early in the second-half, the Toffees' diminutive schemer Leon Osman ran into the Black Cats box with the intention of shooting on goal.

Many a time and oft my Spurs-supporting chum Ian has peddled the theory that Gareth Bale should be shoved right up the top, through the middle, and play as an out-and-out centre-forward. Outlandish it may be, but last night actually provided a glimpse of how the world would be run if Ian were King.

It was all a bit of a rush. Fancy letting family stuff get in the way of football. What on earth is happening to me? Anyone would think it's Christmas or something.

So when I switched on the TV it took me a moment to get my bearings. First thing top left hand corner, read it three times just to make sure and remember to breathe.

That Tottenham, can they do it? Contenders? Say no more. The JimmyG2 Column. It's getting deucedly difficult to write about Spurs these days. We've had it easy for years: missed opportunities; failures to close games out; last ditch losses; individual poor performances; lack of winning mentality; Jenas.

Tottenham failed to close the gap on the top two after a thrilling 1-1 draw with Chelsea at White Hart Lane.
Both sides were chasing victory to keep pace with the runaway leaders, but cancelled each other out in a free-flowing encounter.
Controversial Chelsea skipper John Terry played 24 hours after discovering he was being charged with racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.

The most vocal of football agents Oleg Artemov has been touting his client Roman Pavlyuchenko around this week with Anzi the latest Russian club to be linked with the striker.

"At the beginning, Roman absolutely ignored Anzhi," Artemov told the Russian press.

"He wasn't against going back to Russia, but not to the Makhachkala-based team, but Pavlyuchenko is tired of the uncertainty and the lack of match action.

A couple of days ago, I happened to comment on Twitter following Man Utd's 5-0 thrashing of Wigan at Old Trafford and Man City's 0-0 away draw with West Bromwich Albion, that the title was now down to a two horse race as both Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool had failed to beat either Wolves, Fulham or Blackburn respectively.