What a difference 90 minutes of football at White Hart Lane makes. 2 weeks ago, the final whistle blew on a chastening experience against Manchester City, where Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero showed that our Champions League playoffs with City are a thing of the past 2 weeks ago I shuffled into work with my beloved team bottom of the table on -7 goal difference. Peter Crouch had just spent another 90 minutes doing a poor impression of a Premier League striker and Niko Kranjcar was being used as a holding midfielder. Today, I'm reading every report, watching our goals over and over, we sit above Arsenal and since Dzeko curled his 4th of the day past Friedel, we've scored 6 unanswered goals. Things are looking up.
I'm not going to do player ratings; everyone excelled, everyone looked 10x their red counterparts. A little rundown of the game first, then a few special shoutouts.
The start was what we want everytime. Too many times last season did we explode out of the traps, dominate teams and have them on the ropes early but fail to land that early haymaker. Instead, we've missed with an Ortiz-style headbutt before stepping back apologetically for not quite connecting and getting a Mayweather sucker punch in the gob. Instead, we got our just reward, as our wantaway Croat curled a sumptuous scorcher beyond Pepe Reina. Reina must hate keeping at the Park Lane end. I doubt he'd quite recovered from Assou-Ekotto's bullet from a few seasons back as he could only stand and wave at Modric's strike as it screamed by. I've always said that Luka Modric can't shoot...
Liverpool were awful but we didn't give them a chance to be anything else. Just like the game against Chelsea the season before last, we put our foot on their throat early on and didn't take it off. Dalglish has made such an effort and spent so much money on developing a British core to his team that he may have missed the point that, at the moment, British players simply aren't very good. I was very surprised that Kuyt played no part yesterday and losing Meireles looks like a poor bit of business. Would he have been sold if he were English?
The sendings off certainly made things easier but we were comfortably on top before then and I'm sure we would have gone on to win without them. I'm so glad we didn't sign that fat thug Adam. His tackle on Parker was a straight red tackle and his sending off readdressed the karmic balance after his horrible stamp on Bale last season went unpunished. Good riddance.
One criticism from our performance is that we should have been out of sight before the second sending off. But from then on, it was a case of how many we would get. For a moment, it looked as if Defoe had ballsed up his chance after being sent clear by VDV, but he reminded us of his predatory instincts with a sharp finish after turning Enrique. Then enter Adebayor. What a difference a top quality striker makes to our efforts. Imagine if it had been Crouch instead of Adebayor today. He would have flopped around like an injured Daddy longlegs, scuffing good chances and holding his head with that stupid grin on his face. I knew Adebayor was big and strong and knew where the goal was, but I was hugely impressed by the subtlety of his game. Dropping deep, linking the play and working very hard. I really don't care if he's playing for a move to Madrid. If he stays fit and keeps up his work rate, I have no doubt he will fire us into the Top 4. His goals yesterday were beautiful in their finesse, composure and ruthlessness.
Aside from the obvious attacking stars, special mentions should go to the back four. Walker was as solid as I've seen him, King was King, Kaboul completely neutralised Carroll and looked every inch the successor to King's throne and my man-crush on BAE continues. He's just lovely isn't he?
Another special mention goes to Scott Parker. Wasn't sure what he would bring when we signed him but he was excellent yesterday. I've rarely seen someone work so hard, putting his body on the line and allowing the like of Modric and Bale to do their thing. He's looking like an inspired signing.
Deep breath. It was just one game. Anything less than 3 points at Wigan will undo this fantastic result and performance. Alan Smith declaring that Spurs were probably a better team than Arsenal now made me choke on my Horlicks last night. Let's prove it the week after. I want another Adebayor slide.
Sandro, Gallas, Lennon, Huddlestone, Pienaar on the mend too? I've had a bloody good weekend. How was yours?
Come on you Spurs.
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