draw.
Well, it had to happen, after a run of 28 league games this season, Spurs were involved in a draw… well it ended that losing run at least.
Of curse they did their best to make sure a one didn’t go in the draw column, along with the usual weekly help from inept officials.
It was a trilogy of performances, Burnley, Chelsea and now Arsenal. Cluelessly not doing much with the ball and gifting easy chances with some dumb errors. Pochettino left proceedings early at half-time, off down the tunnel before the whistle went, coming up with anew approach to his half-time talk, according to Danny Rose. Probably also trying to avoid the referee, as Anthony Taylor was doing his Mike Dean impersonation.
Twelve minutes in and the visitors should have been down to 10 men, which would as Poch stated made things a bit different. It’s funny when Spurs are involved in incidents like this Keith Hackett rises from his grave to opine. That’s the Keith Hackett who put in one of the worst refereeing performances you’ll ever see in 1979 FA Cup Quarter-Final between Spurs and Man U and seems to have carried a dislike for Spurs ever since.
Hackett is of the opinion that Danny Rose deserved a red card for going for the ball and catching their keeper. While their player only deserved only a yellow for targeting Harry and getting him. Nowhere near the ball, no intention of getting the ball, just doing Harry in the back of the knee. Yup, that’s only a yellow for Keith… though for Taylor it wasn’t even that… it wasn’t even a foul.
They had an early chance and then Spurs had the ball. But as per usual were doing sod all with it. With nothing really in the middle of the park and attacking the wrong wing of Arsenal, it wasn’t working. Eriksen, pretty much disappeared. Wanyama looked like a player who hasn’t played for years. While they had a lumbering, bumbling centre-back at right-back and yet every Spurs attack was coming down Spurs’ right. Trippier wasn’t getting past the first man. He did once, at a free-kick. Kane was offside.
Then the usual individual error. Sanchez’s header to.. err… and every Spurs player bar Lloris is in their half and Ramsey has an open field to himself.
Spurs finally had a chance just a minute before the first 45 were up. Kane chipping the ball over the defence and Eriksen was clean through, only to shoot straight at the keeper, who got up and made an excellent save to deny Sissoko his grand moment, from the rebound.
Danny Rose has said Poch’s half-time talk was like something he’d never seen before, an inspiration. It must have taken it out of Poch as he was late coming out for the second forty five. Though with no changes made and nothing really to bring on in the area that was the most problem, not much changed on the pitch for a bit. It was so good to get £11m for Dembele without getting a replacement. Yes the Belgian was shot and struggled to play full games, never mind a couple in a week but they have nothing like him left. No one that can’t put their foot on the ball and control a game. Someone who can hold another player off and play the pass. Winks isn’t that man and his two yard sideways passes weren’t really missed.
Dele is also missed. Missed badly.
If you can’t be good. Be lucky. Spurs break came with about a quarter of an hour to go. After they’d missed another good chance. A free kick and Kane is barged into and Taylor points to the spot. Screams of offside from the media. Apparently this time though Taylor was correct and the foul is taken into consideration before the offside. Kane steps up and hammers the ball home.
Of course Spurs weren’t doing draws at this time and so there was plenty of time for Taylor to try and make it up. Aubameyang falling over in the area and the ref pointed to the spot. Aubameyang picked himself up and dribbled the ball into Hugo’s hand – his record against the top six staying at flat track bully level. Vertonghen racing in to get a block on the follow up. Oh encroaching came the media scream. They show one shot, which conveniently cuts out all the red shirts in the area, along with Jan. How many for Harry’s pen? But two pen saves from Hugo… two!
Just time for their little shit with shirt arse syndrome to go with yet another bad tackle on Danny Rose.
Not a great performance but then Hugo only had two saves to make, one of them being the penalty. And we were told how great the visitors were in defence and attack and yet Spurs being poor and their keeper made the same amount of saves, while not managing the penalty. Expectations…