On a frustrating evening for the pair of big-name strikers, they once again struggled to show why they were so sought-after last summerAt least they’ll always have Leicester. Even while they celebrated Wednesday’s sensational come-from-behind victory at the King Power, sensible Spurs fans – and their manager – knew it was most likely to be remembered as a joyous freak occurrence rather than the start of a new era.In the excitement, that win was compared to Spurs’ magnificently ludicrous triumph over Ajax in the 2019 Champions League semi-final and it is true that the matches have similarities. Both created thrilling, enduring memories from improbable situations; and both were followed by monumental no-shows. Continue reading...
At times the Manchester City midfielder resembles an all-surging throwback in Pep Guardiola’s finely calibrated machinePut out more flags. Book in the ticker-tape cannon. Prepare, once again, to be long-range triumphant. Make a nice cup of tea and perhaps everyone else will be along in a moment.At the final whistle here there was a heartfelt staccato cheer around those swooping cantilevered stands. Fists were clenched, seats vacated, aisles filled, the moment locked in. Continue reading...
Blues’ high-spec finely engineered – and very expensive – midfielders epitomised the gulf between Chelsea and SpursThere was a moment midway through the first half of this Carabao Cup semi-final second leg, with Chelsea already 1-0 up, when Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic just seemed to stop, shrug, and pass the ball three times between them: a kind of shared footballing shrug, a raise of the midfield eyebrows. We can do this all day you know. You’re on your own time here.This was a game Tottenham did their best to chase, and with some urgency in the second half. But they were up against opponents who seemed always to be holding them at arm’s length, a palm flat against their forehead,...
Potential upsets, Premier League clubs needing to take it seriously and old foes meeting after taking diverging pathsSwindon and Manchester City were regular combatants in the 1990s, meeting in the second tier and during Swindon’s one season in the Premier League, 1993-94. Friday’s visit to the County Ground will be a first meeting in 20 years. On 5 January 2002, former Swindon man Kevin Horlock scored the second in a 2-0 home win at Maine Road. The years since have seen the clubs move in radically different trajectories, and they now operate on different planets. Swindon arrested a slump with a 5-2 defeat of Northampton on New Year’s Day, and lie in the League Two play-off positions. The club have...
While all the focus was on the Chelsea striker going into the match, Spurs were so chaotic that he faded into the backgroundYou have to hand it to Tottenham defenders. Whatever their faults, at least nobody can doubt their entertainment value. After all they even managed to pull off the impossible during the first leg of this Carabao Cup semi-final, somehow dragging the spotlight away from Chelsea’s extremely apologetic record signing with a performance of spectacular slapstick at the back.This must have been a form of rare torture for Antonio Conte. Even with Romelu Lukaku straining for touch and composure, Chelsea were dominant after welcoming their former manager back to Stamford Bridge for the first time. Thomas Tuchel had come...