Spurs 2 Arsenal 2
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ARSENE WENGER passed on Paul Robinson and Michael Dawson – and he was right.
He had Robinson on trial from Leeds, secretly, and he didn’t want Dawson because he didn’t have outstanding pace.
Arsenal reserves, with Toure, Fabregas and Senderos, gave Spurs first team a 2-0 start and outplayed them and could have won this 2-2 draw.
The second leg of this Carling Cup semi is next Wednesday, January 31.
Yes, Arsenal had two bits of luck :
(1) Berbatov went off injured and (2) at 2-1, Robbie Keane was wrongly given offside when he was clean through.
Berbatov hit the outside of the post in 3 minutes, headed Spurs in front in 12, and went off injured in 17.
Almunia and Toure gave the Bulgarian a free header from five yards. Defoe crossed and Toure didn’t go for the header and Almunia didn’t come out for the catch. Inept and comical defending.
Arsenal should never! never!! never!!! concede such a soft goal as this.
Graham Poll gave Spurs a free-kick they did NOT deserve when Malbranque ran into Denilson, who had got a step in front of him. From some angles it might have looked like a foul, but that was a bad call and Baptista scored an own goal from the free-kick, getting his feet in a tangle at the near post and allowing the ball to hit him and deflect in.
Aaron Lennon looked capable of opening Arsenal up and Toure was booked for a clear foul on him in a central position in 31.
When a Fabregas corner reached the far post, Baptista miskicked amateurishly – as he did on the o.g.
On the evidence so far, would Wenger buy him from Real Madrid? Not really.
Then Baptista scored two goals in 62 and 77, either side of an offside flag against Robbie Keane which was wrong. Keane was one-on-one with Almunia and could have beaten him from memory, could have beaten him in his sleep, even on a night like this when Robbie Keane was having the worst game I ever seen him play.
In 61, Dawson headed a flick off the line.
In 63, Arsenal produced a sweet move and Baptista lost the ball, got up, and stuck it in.
In 77, clueless ballwatching by the braindead Dawson allowed Baptista a free run onto a low cross by Hoyte, and he tapped in for 2-2.On that goal, inexplicably, Paul Robinson went charging out towards Hoyte, even though he had no hope of getting anywhere near him. He gave Baprista an empty goal to aim at.
Arsenal could have won it when Theo Walcott had a late chance.
Overall, Spurs lacked initiative, leadership, players with authority. Arsenal were far superior. They had far more belief,
Sky pundit Glenn Hoddle said, “Nine times out of ten Arsenal had composed possession.”
CORRECT ! Composed possession !
Hoddle said Spurs had no leadership.
CORRECT !
Hoddle said Spurs had five in midfield but could not control Fabregas.
CORRECT.
Spurs, ultimately, are a collection of mediocre mercenaries.
King, Huddlestone and Lennon are good footballers. The rest are so utterly average, it’s staggering.
A night like this must be sickening for Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman. Since he took over, average players have been sold and more average players have been bought, and then they’ve been sold and more average players have been bought.
MARTIN JOL is a bust.
He’s not as good as Pleat, Hoddle or Graham.
It’s sad because London needs a good Spurs side. They were a great team in the Sixties, and very good at times through to 1985.
Steve Archibald was a proper player, far better than Defoe or Berbatov. Ardiles and Hoddle were fun, Graham Roberts was a fantastic and inspiring warrior. Tony Galvin used to drive me potty but that’s another story and I won’t go into it.
Let’s just say that Jenas, Zokora and Malbranque are not fit to lace the boots of tricky Micky Hazard.
Diaby was average on the left flank but he will have enjoyed his 56 minutes. A big night for the big man, who has recovered from the worst injury of the Wenger era.
As I was typing this at 11 pm I got a call from my lawyer friend Mark Jacob, a Spurs season-ticket holder, who was walking back to his car. (I ghosted Mark’s book What’s The Story? Boring Glory, a paperback diary of the Spurs season 1998-99.)
He said, “Fabregas was amazing. Where does he get his engine from? I’d like to see Denilson play with more of the first team players.”
Mark asked what Jol had said on TV but I couldn’t tell him. I’d not seen that because I came upstairs to my office after Hoddle’s remarks.
TOTTENHAM (4-4-2): Robinson; Chimbonda, Dawson, Gardner, Assou-Eskotto; Lennon, Zokora, Huddlestone, Malbranque; Defoe (Mido, 80), Berbatov (Keane, 17). Subs not used: Cerny (gk), Lee, Ghaly.
ARSENAL (4-4-2): Almunia; Hoyte, Touré, Senderos, Traoré; Walcott, Fabregas, Denilson, Diaby (Hleb, 56; Flamini, 80); Baptista, Aliadière (Eboué, 60). Subs not used: Poom (gk), Randall.