Match Result: Spurs 3 Palace 1 & Preview of the Villa game at Villa Park

 

Match Result: Spurs 3 Palace 1 & Preview of the Villa game at Villa Park

It ended up a good win, but going by the first half, I thought this would either end in a draw or they would sneak a result; we couldn’t get near their goal mouth. Palace came to defend, and they did. But in the second half, all changed… and it changed when they scored first.

My new companion/next-door neighbour returned to his normal seat after being sent somewhere else because his seat had already been sold. So, thumbs up to Simon. And it is a great relief for me as you just didn’t know who was going to sit next to you (whether they could speak English or even wanted to communicate). Tottenham is a home away from home, so it is important to know who your neighbours are. I’ve even had a few non-Spurs supporters sitting next to me in the past, and it isn’t comfortable. Tourists are the worst as they are only going to Spurs, as if it is a theatre outing (“Good show ol’ boy – or gal! In the break we shall have a Gin and Tonic to wet our enthusiasm” or something like that) ...

I should also mention that I predicted 3-1 and 3-1 it was.

The match…

Timo Werner scored his first goal for us, sparking our comeback. He was making his sixth appearance since joining on loan from RB Leipzig in January; he scored our equaliser as we scored three times in the final 13 minutes to win and boost our hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

In the first half, Werner had failed to convert when he was played clean through in a forgettable first half, and our woes deepened when Eberechi Eze opened the scoring with a 59th-minute free-kick (a player, it seems, we are looking at, as a possible Summer signing… but then again, according to the papers we are looking at every Tom, Dick (especially Dick) or Harry).

The German tapped in Brennan Johnson's cross in the 77th minute, after which Cristian Romero headed in James Maddison's cross, and captain Son finished off Place by sweeping home to steal three points to inflict a first loss on Palace’s new manager Oliver Glasner.

Thoughts…

This victory moved us within two points of fourth-placed Aston Villa, although Unai “Dick” Emery's side regained their five-point cushion with a dramatic 3-2 win at Luton later on Saturday.

We should have won more comfortably, I thought, and this was later echoed by Postecoglou (great minds think alike).

Had we been beaten, we would have been in danger of petering out, given we are already out of all cup competitions. If we can beat Villa at Villa Park, then I think it will go down the wire… we’ve also got a game in hand over the others (we still have to play Pochettino’s wayward strugglers).

Werner was handed a fifth league start since joining us with Richarlison out injured, but his lack of confidence showed when he opted to round goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and then fluffed his lines.  But he could not miss when substitute Johnson, who proved the catalyst, beating Joachim Andersen and Jefferson Lerma on the right and squared to the back post to leave the goal gaping.

It was Werner's first goal since scoring for Leipzig on 28 October.

A comment on Brennan Johnson, who gets a lot of stick from Spurs supporters:

He now has the same or more assists as:

- Martin Odegaard

- Bruno Fernandes

- Jeremy Doku

- Trent Alexander Arnold

- Lucas Paqueta

- Morgan Gibbs White

To name a few.

So, that is that and a good happy ride home with a cheerful conversation with Mel. I got home at 7 pm, while Mel had another hour's drive to his Bristol home. We both travel such distances to support our beloved team; nothing, no obstacle, gets in our way… our attitude is to do or die. Hopefully – under Ange Postecoglou – it will be payback time (i.e. he showers us with plenty of trophies and challenges for the Premier League title in the coming years). Since the 60-61 double, we haven’t really had a sniff at the League title… plenty of League, FA and European cups, but – sadly – no league titles…

Next year we will – hopefully – have a stronger squad, challenge for all Cup competitions, and be a thorn in the side of City and Liverpool… as for Arsenic and Old Lace, they will be just like a stray leaf… floating everywhere and nowhere and being blown about by strong elements that surround them, the same could be said – again, hopefully, for United… as for the rest… they will be there to make up the numbers and make our Premier League an interesting viewing spectacular for home consumption as well as for the eyes that watch from around the world. In the meantime,…

Match preview: Aston Villa v Spurs at Villa Park.

We have drawn more away games than any other side in the Premier League this season.

All nine of Douglas Luiz’s Premier League goals this season have come at Villa Park.

We have scored in every Premier League game this season but have kept just one clean sheet in our last seven on the road.

Will Villa make it four in a row?

After a rivalry that we mainly dominated through the years (we won eight of the nine meetings between our sides between 2015 and 2022), Villa have had the best of the last three Premier League meetings by winning each. It’s the first time they have recorded three consecutive victories over us since 1996, and with their impressive home form under Dick Emery, they will hope to make it four.

However, we have been difficult to beat away from home, losing the joint fewest matches on the road of any Premier League side this term (2). We have won five and drawn five of our other ten away games, with three of our last five finishing level – taking a point at the Etihad, Old Trafford and Goodison Park.

Both sides are looking for a place in the top four this season; this game may go some way in helping decide which of these two teams will be playing in Europe’s top competition next term. Although if Villa were to qualify for the Europa League, they would at least have a good chance of winning the competition with a Dick in charge, and not many clubs can say that…

Thoughts and predictions

After winning each of the last three games, Aston Villa go into this match as slight favourites. Still, Villa Park isn’t as formidable as it once was, with Dick Emery’s side losing three of their previous four home games across all competitions. Each of the Spurs’ last two games has finished as a draw.

My prediction…

Villa 1 Spurs 2

Spurs Team News…

Out or doubtful

Ryan Sessegnon, Fraser Forster/ Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie & Richarlson

As it stands, Ryan Sessegnon and Fraser Forster are our only confirmed absentees, with a host of players returning to first-team action.

Top Scorer: Son (12)

Assist Ace: Pedro Porro (7)

My predicted Spurs possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Royal, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Werner

Villa vs Spurs head-to-head record

26 Nov 2023 – Tottenham 1-2 Aston Villa – Premier League

13 May 2023 – Aston Villa 2-1 Tottenham – Premier League

01 Jan 2023 – Tottenham 0-2 Aston Villa – Premier League

09 Apr 2022 – Aston Villa 0-4 Tottenham – Premier League

03 Oct 2021 – Tottenham 2-1 Aston Villa – Premier League

One interesting piece of information about the 10^th March – on the day when we face Villa.

It was 105 years ago (on a Monday) that Arsenic and Old Lace confirmed their place as our neighbours; yes, they pitched up their tent in North London and squatted down to become our nemesis.  They had moved from Woolwich to make us their geographical rivals.

With the football league looking to re-start after the end of World War 1, the Gooners managed to take our place in the first Division, causing outrage at White Hart Lane, and ultimately forming a bitter rivalry that is strong today as it was when it first began. Bastards! They’ve claimed squatter’s rights and ever since created a bad smell that often wafted towards our kingdom and home. Fans today who don’t look at our history will just think that they are just a pathetic attempt to be an imitation without realising there is more to it than being a pathetic facsimile… that the truth goes much deeper, as I have shown.

[On the note of Arsenic taking our place in the league; we finished bottom of the First Division, however when they extended the League table, we still got relegated, but Arsenic who were in fifth jumped more qualified teams to take our place. It was all done by a sleight of hand between the Gooners chairman and the Football league; i.e. they never earned their place in the top flight, as other teams have].

That is it, folks! Hopefully another pleasant day next Sunday with the result we need.

Up the Spurs!

COYS!

Glenn

/With Paul Coyte