MATCH THREAD … arsenal v TOTTENHAM , Sunday 24 th September 14-00 kick off… PL | Page 24 | Vital Football

MATCH THREAD … arsenal v TOTTENHAM , Sunday 24 th September 14-00 kick off… PL

Revised prediction Matches 38 Wins 19 Draws 10 Losses 9 Seasons Points 67
Average Points Per Game 1.76 Finishing Position 5th
Current Status Matches 6 Wins 4 Draws 2 Losses 0 Points 14 Average Points per Game 2.33 Position 4th

I've increased the points projection for the season from 64 to 67, improving the finishing position from 6th to 5th. Based on what we saw yesterday it is difficult to see us not winning twenty games, or us losing more than eight. Some caution however insofar as the loss of one or two key players to injury, plus involvements in the African Nations Cup, could change things for us very quickly.

A terrific game yesterday which epitomised the entertainment quality of the new Spurs. Both teams controlled the game at various stages, whereby a draw was exactly the right result. In an away match of this importance however, our coming back from a goal down twice demonstrated an attitude, culture, commitment, confidence and ability at an entirely different level from what we've become used to these past four years or so. The only negative coming out of the weekend's results was Newcastle putting eight past a team we barely managed to beat last week on our own park.

I'm not suggesting that Newcastle would beat us by seven. The reality is though that City, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Brighton are all going as well as us, whilst Newcastle's last two results should kick start their season. There's several months, and thirty two tough games still to go.
 
Niall D said:
I dunno just watched Ian Wright's body language tonite.
He knows they got away with one, the ref saved them, by both giving a pen and not sending off.
Anyalway the better team drew 😉
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Came on to say this. Wright was squirming trying not to say the truth. Without the ref they were down to 10 men and 2-1 down. At least he didn’t make much effort to hide the truth
 
Littlest Hobo said:
Came on to say this. Wright was squirming trying not to say the truth. Without the ref they were down to 10 men and 2-1 down. At least he didn’t make much effort to hide the truth
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That said, in our exuberance in getting the draw, I've tempered my view a little this morning as on re-watching it, it's clear to me losing Rice was a huge turning point for the outcome of the game. For one, I'd doubt they'd have made the same mistake that allowed Maddison to win the possession the way he did to set up Sonny...
 
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To be fair to Merson, his view would have been shared by most pundits though maybe not expressed so forcefully. And for us fans it was a step into the unknown with the memory of MU in the first half. Now we have a clearer idea that Ange has instilled resilience and that has been key to the results achieved. Arsenal lacked the killer punch yesterday perhaps missing Martinelli and Trossard. We may not be so fortunate next week if we have another slow start as Liverpool have a potent attack. It's not a game we should expect to win but we have shown that we can be hard to beat through sheer belief in the manager and his setup. Win or lose next week, any fear that I had pre-season that naivety would cost us has gone.
 
TQ2Spurs said:
Newcastle putting last weeks result against SU into a different light.
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Sorry TQ completely different game, SU away, defend in nos, cheat, waste time etc, but at Home played open, gifting it to NU, they SU have a lot of lessons to learn, in my opinion mate.
 
Spursex said:
The match report says they started brightly and looked to outplay newcastle, then got hit and kept trying to play the same way, and got punished for it and second half appear to have fallen to pieces trying to get back into the game - the good PL teams will do that to you.
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Watched the game, exactly as the report said.
 
Spursex said:
Not sure that's fair; in the main, most days now you can read an entirely positive article/opinion piece about Ange/Spurs here (in the UK that is), whether it's in regard to his long route to top class football/the way we now play, or the way he answers questions with humility and honesty (a highly unusual trait in PL managership)...

As a generalisation, I think the press see him as a breath of fresh air as opposed to the arrogance of two of our previous managers and are loving asking questions about what he thinks, and how he's doing it, as they get open, transparent answers that don't have to be interpreted.
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Plausibe. But giving the British press the benefit of the doubt is just slightly risky.
 
Spurs fans react. It's money for all the broadcasters and sportswriters.
 
Love totty said:
To be fair to Merson, his view would have been shared by most pundits though maybe not expressed so forcefully. And for us fans it was a step into the unknown with the memory of MU in the first half. Now we have a clearer idea that Ange has instilled resilience and that has been key to the results achieved. Arsenal lacked the killer punch yesterday perhaps missing Martinelli and Trossard. We may not be so fortunate next week if we have another slow start as Liverpool have a potent attack. It's not a game we should expect to win but we have shown that we can be hard to beat through sheer belief in the manager and his setup. Win or lose next week, any fear that I had pre-season that naivety would cost us has gone.
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It wasnt so long ago during the Poch era that Spurs were the established PL & CL team with Pundits claiming that none of the Arse players would get into the Spurs lineup bar a couple of outstanding talents. NOT ONCE did i hear a ex Spurs pundit sounding off like the two bit alcoholic, druggie bankrupt that Merson is. He didnt give a professional opinion, he let go with both barrells and tbh all the other pundits in that room went down a notch for me for not calling him out on it. He is like Father Jack in the Father Ted TV show. Wheel him out, say his bit then put him back in the closet.
 
Love totty said:
To be fair to Merson, his view would have been shared by most pundits though maybe not expressed so forcefully. And for us fans it was a step into the unknown with the memory of MU in the first half. Now we have a clearer idea that Ange has instilled resilience and that has been key to the results achieved. Arsenal lacked the killer punch yesterday perhaps missing Martinelli and Trossard. We may not be so fortunate next week if we have another slow start as Liverpool have a potent attack. It's not a game we should expect to win but we have shown that we can be hard to beat through sheer belief in the manager and his setup. Win or lose next week, any fear that I had pre-season that naivety would cost us has gone.
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Well a friend, who is a mad spammer, went to the game with the red bin dippers yesterday and tells me that the 3-1 scoreline flattered them; said they're open to the counter and had two glorious chances in the first half to get well ahead...

We're overdue a win against them, this could be the one!
 
Spursex said:
Well a friend, who is a mad spammer, went to the game with the red bin dippers yesterday and tells me that the 3-1 scoreline flattered them; said they're open to the counter and had two glorious chances in the first half to get well ahead...

We're overdue a win against them, this could be the one!
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Yes, just as long as we don't let them get away from us with another sloppy start. It's starting to look like we would be favourite to win any game if level at half-time, given the belief we are showing.
 
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