Premier League: Tottenham held off a spirited Swansea fightback to win 2-1

Saturday 30th March 2013 17:05

Tottenham held off a spirited Swansea fightback to secure a vital 2-1 victory at the Liberty Stadium, which kept them on course for a top-four finish.

Sublime goals from Jan Vertonghen and Gareth Bale put Spurs in pole position to get back to winning ways after back-to-back league defeats.

However, the home side rallied in the second half and got themselves back in it thanks to Michu, who headed his 11th home league goal of the season to ensure a nervy end to the game for the travelling Spurs faithful.

The visitors managed to hang on though and moved up to third thanks to results elsewhere, whilst the Swans remain comfortable in ninth.

It did not take long for Spurs get into their stride, and the in-form Bale turned provider for a change, lofting a sublime pass on the turn into the path of the onrushing Vertonghen, who plucked the ball out of the air and prodded a shot past Michel Vorm.

With only one clean sheet in the last nine Premier League games, Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas will not have been sitting comfortably, but just 15 minutes later the same two players combined to devastating effect to double the visitors' lead.

Vorm's poor clearance found its way to Vertonghen, who carried the ball forward, drilled a pass into the feet of Bale and he took one touch before lashing an unstoppable shot past the helpless Swansea keeper.

Michael Laudrup needed a response from Swansea, and the shell-shocked home side upped their game and started to create more opportunities, the best of which was wasted by Nathan Dyer, who could only head Dwight Tiendalli's pinpoint centre onto the underside of the bar from close range.

The home side continued to increase their intensity in the second period, and looked much more of a threat going forward.

A quickly taken free-kick caught Spurs sleeping, but Brad Friedel reacted well to smother Michu's prod towards goal.

The Swans' pressure did eventually tell on 71 minutes as Michu outjumped a flat-footed Michael Dawson to head a right-wing corner into the bottom corner.

Bale did almost make it three, clipping the bottom of the post after a mazy run, but arguably his most important contribution was a last-ditch block in injury-time to thwart Dyer when he looked odds-on to net a dramatic equaliser.

Speaking after the game, Villas-Boas was pleased to see Spurs pick up some momentum in the pursuit of Champions League qualification following recent defeats by Liverpool and Fulham.

"It was an important victory after back-to-back defeats," he said. "We cannot expect to dominate away from home, but we had a couple of chances to make it three which would have helped us. Momentum shifts quickly, but we just have to keep winning."

Swansea boss Laudrup was left to rue a slow start to the game after falling 2-0 down after just 21 minutes.

Laudrup said: "They just started better than us. The second goal we couldn't have done much about, as Gareth Bale made the difference. But the first we should have done much better with. We had five against two in our favour."

View the original article here

Tottenham ace still wanted in West London

Queens Park Rangers will look into bringing Michael Dawson to Loftus Road in January after failing to secure him in the summer according to boss Mark Hughes. Rangers have made a poor start to the season after lots of changes to their squad over the past few months, but it seems Hughes is already planning more deals for the club in the new year and the out of favour Tottenham defender is top of his wish list

View original post here:
Tottenham ace still wanted in West London

View the original article here

Tottenham and Liverpool lead race for Isco

Tottenham have joined Liverpool as they chase Spanish striker Isco with a view to a January deal. The Malaga attacker made his Champions League debut against Zenit St Petersburg on Tuesday and scored twice.

Visit link:
Tottenham and Liverpool lead race for Isco

View the original article here

Defoe hints at Tottenham exit

Tottenham forward Jermain Defoe admits that he could leave Spurs in search for first team football.

The 29-year-old is eager to make England Euro 2012 squad and that is one of the reasons why he could leave White Hart Lane in January.

“It has crossed my mind. Leading into a massive tournament you want to make sure you’re on that plane. Having had that buzz before, you want it again,” Defoe told talkSPORT.

“The problem is I just need to play regularly. The other forwards are playing regularly and scoring goals so they deserve to be in the squad. So it’s about me playing regularly and trying to get back in the squad.”

Defoe says it would be hard for him to leave Spurs, but admits it could be the only option.

“I love the club. I’m Spurs through and through. I’ve been here for a number of years, my family love the club and the fans been with me since day one.

“It’s difficult to think about leaving the club. When you’re playing for a club you love it’s such a great feeling. But I’m 29 now, I just need to be playing football regularly. That’s all that matters.”

View the original article here

Premier League: Tottenham 2 Aston Villa 1

Tottenham Hotspur defeated Aston Villa 2-0 on Monday to move third in the English Premier League, thanks to a brace from Emmanuel Adebayor.

Togolese striker Adebayor had chances to complete his hat-trick after his two strikes at White Hart Lane ended a run of seven appearances without a goal.

Tottenham were boosted by the return of manager Harry Redknapp to the bench after a period of absence following heart surgery.

But it was visitors Villa who started the match strongly and could have gone ahead inside the first minute.

Emile Heskey got on the end of a deep cross from Stilian Petrov, but Kyle Walker did enough to prevent the striker heading the ball back to partner Darren Bent.

It proved a false start for Alex McLeish’s away team, and after that, it was all Spurs.

Rafael van der Vaart’s clever trickery on the edge of the box nearly put through Adebayor, but the pass was too heavy and went harmlessly through to goalkeeper Shay Given.

Benoit Assou Ekotto’s cross-field pass then found Aaron Lennon, who nipped past Stephen Warnock with ease.

His delivery was headed into the ground and wide by Adebayor, who should have hit the target.

The on-loan Manchester City striker made amends for his error shortly afterwards, showing great technique in the six-yard box to open the scoring after 14 minutes.

Younes Kaboul’s volley was deflected wide, and from the resulting corner Adebayor scored with an overhead kick after Villa’s defence fell asleep on the second ball back into the box by Gareth Bale.

Van der Vaart twice went close again, as did Adebayor, before Villa’s second chance of the first-half fell to Heskey, who was played in by Gabby Agbonlahor.

The powerful centre-forward opted to try and set up Bent rather than go for glory himself, and the ball trickled out of play for a goal kick.

That poor decision making proved costly when Adebayor made it two five minutes before half-time.

The goal came courtesy of a Bale cross that was deflected up and over Given by defender James Collins, leaving Adebayor the simplest of close-range finishes.

Villa’s attempt at a response in the second-half proved uninspired.

Kris Herd crossed for Darren Bent, with the resulting header well saved by goalkeeper Brad Friedel, called into action for the first time in the match.

Adebayor went close for his hat-trick on numerous occasions.

And he had the ball in the back of the net late on, but play had already stopped with Lennon flagged for offside.

Spurs had further chances after that but could not add to their tally.

Nevertheless, they saw out the closing exchanges for a comfortable victory.

Tottenham are now four points behind Manchester United and nine back from leaders City.

Villa meanwhile sit eighth, and remain without an away win from six league matches on the road this season.

View the original article here

Premier League: Fulham 1 Tottenham 3

Tottenham were made to dig deep to take home the three points from Craven Cottage on Sunday.

First-half goals from Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon and another in second-half stoppage time from Jermain Defoe sealed the win as the hosts’ second-half display was not quite enough to earn a draw.

Tottenham wasted no time in getting their noses in front as a speedy run on the right from full-back Kyle Walker stretched the Fulham defence after 10 minutes.

The 21-year-old’s cut-back to Lennon was smashed to the far post until Mark Schwarzer deflected the ball wide to his right. The danger was still present as Bale put the ball back into the area only for Chris Baird to slide the ball into his own net.

A blow to the nose of Scott Parker caused a break in play after 20 minutes as the England international had to leave the field to be patched up with blood running.

Shortly after, Fulham broke the Tottenham defence with Clint Dempsey’s low shot being pushed away by fellow American Brad Friedel.

With the visitors in the lead, Fulham had to take the lead in the game and an unexpected figure in Emmanuel Adebayor came to the rescue for Tottenham to keep the lead intact.

From a free-kick on the right, the striker made a couple of headers to help out his defenders and maintain the advantage.

Teamwork between Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Bale and Lennon produced the second goal for Tottenham in first half stoppage time. The three moved the ball with ease with quick passing and crisp running which sprung the winger to slide in the second goal of the game.

The period finished with Fulham’s Zdenek Grygera appearing to twist his left knee and being carried from the field on a stretcher.

Whatever Jol told his side in the dressing at half-time certainly did the trick as the home side came flying out of the blocks. Shots were flying in for Fulham with Duff and Zamora both testing the defence.

This sustained pressure paid off from a corner when a Ledley King header hit the back of Younes Kaboul and beyond Friedel with the big defender knowing little about it.

The openings kept coming for Fulham and Baird nearly made amends for his involvement in the first goal with a smashed effort at goal which required Freidel to pull off another classy save. The warning bells must have been ringing loud and clear for Tottenham as the Fulham revival was unabated.

Dempsey would have been kicking himself after 74 minutes as he broke through the centre-half pairing and bore down on goal only to see his shot knocked wide by King whose slid was a crucial intervention, the chance to level up gone.

The final moments of the game summed up Fulham’s day perfectly. Two goal line scrambles kept everyone on the edge of the seats but brilliant concentration for Friedel and a huge slice of luck kept Fulham out.

And, as to twist the knife, Tottenham’s next attack killed the game with Jermain Defoe volleying in from a cross.

View the original article here

Premier League: Tottenham 3 QPR 1

A Gareth Bale brace saw Tottenham defeat Queens Park Rangers 3-1 at White Hart Lane to move into fifth place in the Premier League.

Bale opened the scoring before Rafael Van Der Vaart chimed in with a goal, before QPR substitute Jay Bothroyd breathed some life into the game with a second-half strike.

But Bale extinguished the visitors’ hopes with his second of the match to seal three points for Harry Redknapp’s side.

After early pressure from Spurs, the visitors’ first chance came after a good passing move ended with Heidur Helguson just inside the area, but the Icelandic international could not direct the ball towards Brad Friedel’s goal.

Redknapp’s men then went in front straight after that chance as the goal kick by Friedel was knocked on by Emmanuel Adebayor to Aaron Lennon, who found the onrushing Bale before the Welshman slotted past Paddy Kenny in the QPR goal.

Spurs continued to dominate the game and were ultimately rewarded as Van Der Vaart latched onto a loose ball and placed it beyond Kenny for his fifth goal in as many Premier League games.

The hosts could have killed the game off minutes into the second period as Van Der Vaart found space on the edge of the area before his drive was clawed away by Kenny.

QPR found a lifeline just after the hour as a corner from the right was knocked back into the danger zone, with Bothroyd on hand to knock the ball home from close range.

Kenny once again showed his worth for the Loftus Road side, making two outstanding saves from Adebayor and Bale to keep his team in the game.

Spurs eventually got their third after a superb one-two between Lennon and Bale ended with the latter curling a shot around the helpless Kenny to restore his side’s two-goal cushion.

With 15 minutes left Spurs should have killed the game off as Lennon showed great skill to find Adebayor inside the box, but the Togolese striker failed to find the target from point-blank range.

QPR had a series of chances inside injury time, but they failed to find the target as Spurs ran out comfortable winners.

View the original article here

Premier League: Blackburn 1 Tottenham 2

Two goals from Rafael van der Vaart condemned Blackburn to another home defeat as Tottenham recorded a 2-1 Premier League victory at Ewood Park.

Despite a strong performance from the home side they lacked quality in front of goal and were punished by two excellent strikes from Spurs’ Dutch forward.

Mauro Formica had got his side back into the game before Van der Vaart struck to seal the points for the visitors.

Despite Blackburn creating some good chances early it was the visitors who opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Kyle Walker surged down the right and passed to Van der Vaart, who calmly side-footed the ball into the back of the net.

Gareth Bale was causing problems for Blackburn’s defence, with the Welshman’s low cross finding Emmanuel Adebayor whose shot was well saved by Paul Robinson.

Spurs had been dominating the game but in the 27th minute the hosts got themselves back on level terms when Formica reacted fastest to a scramble inside the penalty area before blasting the ball into the back of the net from 10 yards out.

The visitors began the second half in a confident mood and were twice very close to going ahead in the 52nd minute through Luka Modric and Bale.

Seconds later Van der Vaart doubled his tally with a sublime finish from the edge of the area.

The introduction of Yakubu in the 69th minute seemed to awaken Blackburn and the Nigerian had three good chances to get his side back into the game.

The first came from a low cross but he managed to put his shot wide of the post. He then had two good headed opportunities but he was unable to test Brad Friedel in the Spurs goal.

View the original article here

Premier League: Tottenham 1 Blackpool 1

Blackpool almost claimed the three points they desperately needed to avoid relegation but had to settle for a point in a dramatic 1-1 draw with Tottenham.

Charlie Adam missed a penalty with 15 minutes to go after Michael Dawson handled in the box but the Scotland international had the chance to atone for his miss, again from the spot, just 21 seconds later when Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes tripped Gary Taylor-Fletcher.

This time, Adam netted to seemingly give Blackpool a crucial win but Jermain Defoe’s strike on 88 minutes salvaged a point for Tottenham, whose dreams of holding on to fourth place and a Champions League spot are hanging in the balance.

It can be argued that Adam was lucky to even be on the pitch after a foul on Gareth Bale should have been punished with a red card.

Bale left the field on a stretcher and replays showed his ankle buckle under Adam’s boot in a challenge that is likely to rule the Welshman out of Spurs’ final games of the season.

The match sprung into life after a tepid first half. Both sides seemed pretty lacklustre in the opening exchanges and even when Spurs found a way through, Roman Pavlyuchenko failed to test Matt Gilks in the Blackpool goal.

Sergey Kornilenko looked slow in attack for Blackpool and Adam failed to influence the match from deep in the first half as Spurs coasted towards a goalless conclusion after the first 45 minutes.

The second half had all the drama the first half lacked and the game exploded into life late on. With Blackpool increasingly getting a foothold in the game, Dawson handled Adam’s corner in the box and referee Lee Probert rightly awarded a penalty.

Gomes saved Adam’s spot kick but from the resulting corner, the error-prone goalkeeper brought down Taylor-Fletcher to incredibly give Adam the chance to redeem himself.

Having taken the ball off DJ Campbell, Adam this time sent Gomes the right way to seemingly give Blackpool a point in their hunt for survival.

But Defoe found space in the dying minutes to slam the ball past Gilks and earn a point for Tottenham.

Sat 7 May, 2011

Premier League: Tottenham 1 Blackpool 1

Blackpool almost claimed the three points they desperately needed to avoid relegation but had to settle for a point in a dramatic 1-1 draw with Tottenham.

Charlie Adam missed a penalty with 15 minutes to go after Michael Dawson handled in the box but the Scotland international had the chance to atone for his miss, again from the spot, just 21 seconds later when Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes tripped Gary Taylor-Fletcher.

This time, Adam netted to seemingly give Blackpool a crucial win but Jermain Defoe’s strike on 88 minutes salvaged a point for Tottenham, whose dreams of holding on to fourth place and a Champions League spot are hanging in the balance.

It can be argued that Adam was lucky to even be on the pitch after a foul on Gareth Bale should have been punished with a red card.

Bale left the field on a stretcher and replays showed his ankle buckle under Adam’s boot in a challenge that is likely to rule the Welshman out of Spurs’ final games of the season.

The match sprung into life after a tepid first half. Both sides seemed pretty lacklustre in the opening exchanges and even when Spurs found a way through, Roman Pavlyuchenko failed to test Matt Gilks in the Blackpool goal.

Sergey Kornilenko looked slow in attack for Blackpool and Adam failed to influence the match from deep in the first half as Spurs coasted towards a goalless conclusion after the first 45 minutes.

The second half had all the drama the first half lacked and the game exploded into life late on. With Blackpool increasingly getting a foothold in the game, Dawson handled Adam’s corner in the box and referee Lee Probert rightly awarded a penalty.

Gomes saved Adam’s spot kick but from the resulting corner, the error-prone goalkeeper brought down Taylor-Fletcher to incredibly give Adam the chance to redeem himself.

Having taken the ball off DJ Campbell, Adam this time sent Gomes the right way to seemingly give Blackpool a point in their hunt for survival.

But Defoe found space in the dying minutes to slam the ball past Gilks and earn a point for Tottenham.

Sat 7 May, 2011

Liverpool to Offer Player Plus Cash to Land £15m Tottenham Winger

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon after reports suggested that the England winger had fallen out with White Hart Lane boss Harry Redknapp. The speedy wide man may now be made available by the North London side who may need to sell players to help balance the books as they look likely to miss out Champions League football next term.

Kenny Dalglish is looking to add more natural width and has been linked with a number of prospective winger purchases and was previously linked with interest in Aston Villa stars Ashley Young and Stewart Downing, among others.

The Anfield boss may also be willing to offer Joe Cole as a make-weight in any offer for

Tottenham to Sell Aaron Lennon for £15m After Winger Falls Out With Harry Redknapp

15 million this summer following a breakdown in his relationship with Harry Redknapp, Goal.com can reveal.

The Spurs manager is fed up with below-par performances from the England winger and is ready to listen to offers for him.

Lennon has scored just three goals in 42 matches this season and, although he has chipped in with eight assists in all competitions, only three of those have come in the Premier League.

His relationship with Redknapp has steadily deteriorated over the last two seasons following a string of disagreements, culminating in a barely concealed falling-out following Tottenham’s 4-0 Champions League defeat at Real Madrid last month.

The Spurs boss has become increasingly frustrated by what he believes is Lennon’s failure to respond to orders.

Liverpool And Tottenham In Chase For West Ham United Star

10 comments by Jack Atchinson on May 3rd, 2011

White Hart Lane and Anfield clubs hope to take advantage of Upton Park relegation doom.

Tottenham Close to Agreeing £5m Deal to Sign Liverpool Midfielder Joe Cole

Tottenham will revive their interest in Joe Cole just 12 months after he rejected a move to White Hart Lane and completed a free transfer to Liverpool.

Cole’s decision to move to Merseyside has been a disaster as injury and an alarming loss of form has wiped out his campaign.

He will have to lick his wounds and take a substantial pay cut to return to London while Liverpool will demand at least

MotM Poll: Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

By: Jack | April 30th, 2011
    Tweet
He comes from the Ivory Coast - Kalou, Kalou

Fortune favors the brave – Brave John Terry that is.

Look, we were gifted a pair of goals. No question. Andre Marriner is, yes, inept.

But at least we showed up. We fought. Clawed and scratched in our pursuit for that result. Drogba, and no doubt Mikel, from his position in the shadows, epitomized this. Spurs, meanwhile, looked spent. Sure, they were unlucky here, but it would have been nice had they showed up to play an actual match. I thought they were interested in qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Not on this evidence.

More, in the form of a unorganized match recap, coming tonight. Until then, vote for your man of the match and, afterward, have a say about the match in the comments. Me, I’m expecting plenty of superb commentary on the officiating. Can’t wait.

Some Related Chelsea Posts:MotM Poll: Tottenham 1-1 ChelseaRant Box: Chelsea v. Tottenham HotspurPL Preview: Chelsea v. Tottenham HotspurMotM Poll: West Bromwich Albion 1-3 ChelseaMotM Poll: Blackpool 1-3 Chelsea
Category: Chelsea Team News, Fixtures, Man of the Match, Premiership Tags: Ashley Cole, Chelsea Team News, David Luiz, Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres, Fixtures, Frank Lampard, John Obi-Mikel, John Terry, Man of the Match, Petr Cech, Premiership, Salomon Kalou, Spurs, Stamford Bridge, Tottenham
    Tweet « Rant Box: Chelsea v. Tottenham Hotspur | Home | PL Recap: Chelsea 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur »CyrusvilleI have voted for Didier but the ratings are a bit unfair to Fernando to say the least. Toress was a pain to the spurs defence only that he couldn't manage to get behind the back four.
arn00bMikel did really well today, kept it clean, tidy and organized, but my vote goes to Drogba, who is the beating heart of Chelsea.JackAgreed. I thought Drogba was amazing, driving us on at times. I thought Mikel did the same for us, particularly late in that second half when we needed all the chances we could muster.pfeldswent with lamps over didi or mikel. honestly i didnt think mikel did anything magical as much as not f*ck up, bu then again i had a choppy feed from myp2p, 2 choppy feeds, one english but slow, and french but more fluid. i digress, lamps got the goal he lost in south africa, and better here, cause its not like lamps goal would of stopped germany anyways. didi had a fine outing but the real motm, is the linesman my friends....JillYet another daylight robbery at Stamford Bridge. It's fast becoming a habit.MateoVotel Mikel, he was a true gladiator on the midfiled, Drogba was great, Flo absent all along, Carlo was damn spot on with the subs, a tad late for my taste but ramires anelka and kalou really changed our pace near the end of the game, kind of a bittersweet taste in my mouth concerning the legitimacy of the goals, but sometimes luck has to take our side too.DanAgree with your general analysis: we were gifted the two goals, although the offsides on the second goal was so close you can only expect a call on that about half the time in that area of the pitch.

Two general observations:
1. I thought Torres looked great today. He didn't score (neither did Drogba) but he was playing with purpose, and he made a few excellent passes that created chances amidst a spurs team that had clearly packed it in after their first goal.

2. This is minor, but when was the last time Ivanovic put in a cross that actually resulted in ANYTHING. I thought he played generally good today but his crossing ability this entire season has been frustrating me.CyrusvilleI totally agree dan; ivanovic is now picking a card in every game. and where was Ramires yesterday with his busting runs?JackGood stuff, Dan.

1. I agree. I thought Torres faded in the second half, but the opening 30 minutes were the best we've seen from him.
2. I said the exact same thing prior to the match, as I did prior to the West Ham, etc. I love the man, but his crossing really is poor. Another reason we're likely casting an eye at van der Wiel.Mateoconcerning crosses: it really busts my balls to see drogba crossing on set pieces and corner kicks, why the fuck must we sacrifice one of our biggest aereal threats? there must be someone qualified t odo this, someone who isnt an imminent aereal striker... its a management issue, but it really pisses me offJackWell, this is the problem: Drogba is our most creative player. He really is our best crosser of the ball, which is an indictment of the makeup of this team. It must be addressed in the summer.Joshua BelleWhy would you say Spurs looked spent and didn't show up to play an actual match? Certainly wasn't their best effort but correct me if I'm wrong here - Chelsea would have lost the game had it been refereed correctly?

I'd suggest that that means Chelsea fans should be concerned about the performance of their team in a (possible) title race, rather than Spurs fans concerned about the Champions League?orthodoxyordeathActually Chelsea may not have lost. Your ideas are based on the stupid assumptions that if Chelsea hadn't got their first, they would have lost. Fine, the first gets ruled offside. There was a long time after that in which they could have gotten a legitimate first, second or even third goal. We'll never know. Drop it.JackSo what you're telling me is that a scoreline is the sole basis for performance? Using that formula, Barcelona were better than us in the 2009 CL semifinal second leg - when, of course, we know that's certainly not the case.

What did Spurs offer today? If you answered little, you would be correct. Shots maybe? Well, there was one on target. They were second best throughout the day, without question. And seeing as we weren't as incisive as we have been recently, that's kind of sad. Lest we forget the penalty we should have been awarded, too.

Further, considering the fact that Liverpool can overtake them for fifth tomorrow with a win, I'd say Spurs fans should be far more concerned with CL qualification than us worrying about the remote possibility of retaining our league title - especially considering most of us were just hoping for fourth a month or so ago.Thjusueven though Kalou scored the winning goal, Mikel was equal to Sandro he was running a lot more than he usually does and made some successful tackles.blog comments powered by Disqus
Follow Us

           


Harry Redknapp, England manager? (Awful writing) Is It Too Early to Get Excited About Sturridge? Denmark 1 - 2 England (Via Hamlet) more news...
Search The Offside

 



Related Links

Chelsea TicketsChelsea FC KitsChelsea FC BettingHotels near Stamford BridgeChampions League Travel to LondonPremier League Fantasy GameMore Chelsea Links
Categories

Academy NewsAnalysisAwardsBlogrollBlues on International DutyCaption ThisCarling CupChelsea GoalsChelsea LadiesChelsea LoansChelsea ReservesChelsea Team NewsCoaching NewseBay WatchFantasy LeagueFast FiveFixturesFlashbackFor The ArchivesFormer PlayersGalleryGlory GoalsHumorInjury NewsKitsLiveMan of the MatchMatch PreviewsMatch ReportsOpinionPapersPlayer NewsPlayer RatingsPollPredictionsQuotesRandomnessRankingsRant BoxStatisticsTacticsThe OwnerTransfer NewsTransfer RumorsVideoVideo BlogWho This?Youth News
Send Your Tips!

Found a great story, photo or video that's perfect for The Offside?
Email chelsea[at]theoffside[dot]com

Archives

Select Archive Month April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006

 About The Offside | Advertise on The Offside | Privacy Policy


Top Content: England Team News | Neymar to Chelsea | Record Points for Chelsea | Chelsea Preseason | Chelsea 2011 Home Jersey | Premier League Fantasy Game

Related information: EPL Shirts | England Shirts | Arsenal News | Liverpool News | Man United News | London Travel Guide | Finding a London Hotel | Champions League Prize Money

© BootsnAll Travel Network - All rights reserved
EuropeEngland: PremiershipEngland: ChampionshipEngland: League One England: League Two FranceGermanyGreeceHollandItalyPolandPortugalRussiaScotlandSpainTurkeyAfricaEgyptTunisiaAustraliaSouth AmericaArgentinaBrazilColombia North AmericaMexicoMLSNPSLUSLWomen's SoccerCup CompetitionsChampions LeagueEuropa LeagueCopa LibertadoresCopa SudamericanaPlayersDidier DrogbaLionel MessiMesut OzilArjen RobbenCristiano RonaldoLigue 1 ProspectsSoccer Betting  |  World Cup 2010
Plan Your Soccer Travels  |  Soccer TicketsClose X  Home    World    Europe    English Premier League     Chelsea   StoreTravelScores England: PremiershipEngland: ChampionshipEngland: League OneEngland: League TwoEngland: ConferenceFranceGermanyGreeceHollandItaly PolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaScotlandSpainTurkeyUkraineChampions League  |  Europa LeagueClose X

PL Recap: Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

By: Jack | April 30th, 2011
    Tweet

Sometimes you have to ride your luck. Sometimes you make your own luck.

Today, we did a bit of both.

Comedy hour

The Rundown
• We won.
• We won without scoring a legitimate goal. Bonus.
• We’re three points off the pace with United yet to face the Arsenal.
• John Obi Mikel is blowing the fuck up.
• Didier Drogba is a God. Build this man a temple off Fulham Road. Erect a 450-foot bronze statue of the Ivorian, place it inside. Surround statue with an Ionic frieze depicting our warrior’s triumphs and travails as a member of this club. A bas-relief featuring the words ‘It’s a fucking disgrace’ for all the world to see. God Damn right.
• England’s Brave and Super Frank deserve similar treatment.

What was a dominant start from the hosts was wiped from the books in a millisecond by one of the goals of the season – Sandro curling a wonderful 30-plus yarder past Cech on the half-volley. It was a sucker punch. Fortunately for us, Señor Gomes – and the linesman were in a giving mood. A routine, nay ambitious, shot from Lampard was fumbled by the lovable goalkeeper toward goal. It wasn’t anything special. In fact, it was a pretty poor effort. But, you know, we don’t really care. Gomes leaped toward his goal in an attempt to keep the ball from crossing. He grabbed it, caressed it, made passionate love to it in an attempt to convince the officials. It may – or may not – have crossed the line. Regardless, Gomes’ efforts were for naught and the goal was given.

It was a moment that restored some belief in us prior to halftime. After all, we had taken a heavy blow and were struggling to recover from it.

Then came the second half. We probed and pushed, but never quite had the juice required. We were denied several calls in the process, including a dead-on penalty when Kaboul lunged through the back of Malouda inside the area. Andre Marriner was clearly intent on making up for his linesman’s potential mistake in the opening half. Splendid.

But we didn’t pack it in. We kept attacking and were rewarded for that approach a minute before the end of regular time. Anelka, Drogba and Kalou swarmed the box, with the former two somehow managing not to get in each other’s way. Drogba rolled the ball to Kalou at the near post, slightly offside, who poked home.

Offside? That’s two dubious decisions in our favor. Who the fuck would’ve thought it.

Spurs, meanwhile, in the midst of the pivotal fight, showed little, well, fight. Not exactly what you want to see if you’re Harry Redknapp. Were they even remotely interested in grabbing something from the game? It didn’t appear so. One shot on goal would attest. All this from a team in the midst of a back-alley fight for a spot in the Champions League – and the money that comes with it?

So that’s a massive three points ahead of United’s trip to the Emirates tomorrow afternoon. We could potentially be three points astray if Arsenal can somehow do us a solid. And to think, we were fifteen points adrift in February. Amazing.

Revelation

Player Ratings

Petr Cech
Called into action how many times? Once. Had no chance when Sandro pulled his golden ticket. 6Branislav Ivanovic
Managed to put in a sturdy shift, as per usual, despite struggling, particularly early, with Bale’s pace. His crossing, again, has come into question around these parts. Rightfully so. Still, you can’t argue with his contribution this season. Amongst the favorites for player of the season in my mind. 6.5John Terry
Very good I thought. Marauded forward a tad much for my liking but, overall, was a leader of men. 7David Luiz
Thought far too stationary at times, was efficient in his work. 6.5Ashley Cole
Anyone remember hearing a sniff out of Aaron Lennon? Yeah, men neither. 7.5John Obi Mikel
The master of ceremonies. Hardly put a foot wrong, driving us forward during a second-half display in which he was the best player on the pitch – by a fair margin. It seemed like he retrieved the ball for us at every instant. Has been a revelation since returning to the side. 8.5 MotMMichael Essien
The impostor returned. Was woefully off the pace during the second half, and was rightfully pulled for Ramires. 5Frank Lampard
The goal, yes, but also provided those vintage – much-needed – incisive runs into the box. Threatened sporadically. 7Fernando Torres
Be fair, it was a superb start for the Spaniard. He was incisive, hungry and played some lovely balls. He faded severely, however, in the second half. Isolated. Looked highly perturbed at being substituted, which is unfortunate. Get over it, man. 6.5Florent Malouda
An off-day, rare at this time of the season for the Frenchman. 6Didier Drogba
An inspiring figure at the moment. This time, right now, goes as far as The Mighty One goes. His first-half free kick, from, what, 40 yards was stunning. Should we even talk about his work ethic out on the right? Fighting for the cause. 8.5Ramires
Made a distinct difference to our midfield when he replaced Essien. Rusty, as to be expected, but was a bundle of energy. 6.5Salomon Kalou
Looked out of it for a few minutes, then came alive. Then popped up with a priceless goal. His best-ever season for the club continues. 7.5Nicolas Anelka
Kind of carried on from his lively substitute appearance against West Ham. Was in the mix during the winner. Great to see. 6.5
Some Related Chelsea Posts:Rant Box: Chelsea v. Tottenham HotspurPL Preview: Chelsea v. Tottenham HotspurPL Recap: Tottenham 1-1 Chelsea (the rebirth?)MotM Poll: Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham HotspurPL Recap: Chelsea 3-1 Birmingham City
Category: Chelsea Team News, Fixtures, Match Reports, Player News, Player Ratings, Premiership Tags: Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea Team News, David Luiz, Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres, Fixtures, Frank Lampard, Gomes, Harry Redknapp, John Terry, Match Reports, Michael Dawson, Player News, Player Ratings, Premiership, Rafael van der Vaart, Ramires, Salomon Kalou, Sandro, Spurs, Stamford Bridge, Tottenham
    Tweet « MotM Poll: Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur | Home | Akshay N RAs a Chelsea fan, feels very different to be on the right side of a wrong decision for a change.Magic-freddyThe score was 2-1, if I remember well... but who cares, three points in the bag, and all that with the luck of champions. I see a bright finish to this season, still not getting carried away about retaining the title though, especially since we would have to depend on arsenal to do us a favor... I can see me jumping around as they make United run after the ball all afternoon, only for a simple long ball above their central defenders to put rooney "what? what the fu@#K" through on goal... nah, not buying any kind of hope from some helpless "wanna be" barcelona...lol.JackShit, glaring typo. Our servers are fucking with us, too. Thanks for the catch.blog comments powered by Disqus
Follow Us

           


Harry Redknapp, England manager? (Awful writing) Is It Too Early to Get Excited About Sturridge? Denmark 1 - 2 England (Via Hamlet) more news...
Search The Offside

 



Related Links

Chelsea TicketsChelsea FC KitsChelsea FC BettingHotels near Stamford BridgeChampions League Travel to LondonPremier League Fantasy GameMore Chelsea Links
Categories

Academy NewsAnalysisAwardsBlogrollBlues on International DutyCaption ThisCarling CupChelsea GoalsChelsea LadiesChelsea LoansChelsea ReservesChelsea Team NewsCoaching NewseBay WatchFantasy LeagueFast FiveFixturesFlashbackFor The ArchivesFormer PlayersGalleryGlory GoalsHumorInjury NewsKitsLiveMan of the MatchMatch PreviewsMatch ReportsOpinionPapersPlayer NewsPlayer RatingsPollPredictionsQuotesRandomnessRankingsRant BoxStatisticsTacticsThe OwnerTransfer NewsTransfer RumorsVideoVideo BlogWho This?Youth News
Send Your Tips!

Found a great story, photo or video that's perfect for The Offside?
Email chelsea[at]theoffside[dot]com

Archives

Select Archive Month April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006

 About The Offside | Advertise on The Offside | Privacy Policy


Top Content: England Team News | Neymar to Chelsea | Record Points for Chelsea | Chelsea Preseason | Chelsea 2011 Home Jersey | Premier League Fantasy Game

Related information: EPL Shirts | England Shirts | Arsenal News | Liverpool News | Man United News | London Travel Guide | Finding a London Hotel | Champions League Prize Money

© BootsnAll Travel Network - All rights reserved
EuropeEngland: PremiershipEngland: ChampionshipEngland: League One England: League Two FranceGermanyGreeceHollandItalyPolandPortugalRussiaScotlandSpainTurkeyAfricaEgyptTunisiaAustraliaSouth AmericaArgentinaBrazilColombia North AmericaMexicoMLSNPSLUSLWomen's SoccerCup CompetitionsChampions LeagueEuropa LeagueCopa LibertadoresCopa SudamericanaPlayersDidier DrogbaLionel MessiMesut OzilArjen RobbenCristiano RonaldoLigue 1 ProspectsSoccer Betting  |  World Cup 2010
Plan Your Soccer Travels  |  Soccer TicketsClose X  Home    World    Europe    English Premier League     Chelsea   StoreTravelScores England: PremiershipEngland: ChampionshipEngland: League OneEngland: League TwoEngland: ConferenceFranceGermanyGreeceHollandItaly PolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaScotlandSpainTurkeyUkraineChampions League  |  Europa LeagueClose X