|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tottenham
Take Three More Home Points
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date: 26-12-2006
Wrote: EP's editor Islam Issa
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spurs continued their fine home form, winning their
seventh consecutive fixture at the Lane. Though the
game proved a midfield battle at times, Jermain Defoe
managed to net twice against Villa to give Tottenham
three points with a 2-1 win.
Read also:
Mido was out of the match squad, possibly
due to a groin injury which according to an English
newspaper, denied him a start at Newcastle United. Meanwhile,
Hossam Ghaly started the game on the right side of the
midfield.
It was a mixed game for the Egyptian. In the early moments,
he showed some great touches, controlling the ball on
his head and shoulder numerous times while running,
before winning a throw. Yet for large parts of the match,
he ended up taking too many touches when up against
Gavin McCann, who bossed the encounter's midfield. At
times, this led to the crowd getting seriously frustrated
with Hossam, who could with simpler play, have begun
a few counter attacks.
Likewise, his communication with Chimbonda was ambiguous.
At times, they completely mis-read each other's passes,
while at others, they did some of the nicest exchanges
of the match together. Ghaly was most effective in his
rare but effective tackles, which he did before moving
into the centre to pressurise Villa. From the side,
he made a few nice crosses too.
Spurs' Dider Zokora was superb. He had a lot to do because
both Ghaly and Steed Malbranque, the left-sided midfielder,
were drawing into the centre and moving forward. The
Ivorian covered for them behind the side-backs on numerous
occasions, helping Spurs keep a clean sheet in the first
half.
Yet the disappointment of the day was Tom Huddlestone.
Although Spurs announced his signing a new contract
worth until 2011, this was one of his poorest showings
yet. The 19-year-old looked over-confident today, and
his casual passes lacked thought or precision. Moreover,
it is strange to see him step up to take floating corners
time and time again when his massive presence could
surely provide Spurs with more threat inside the box!
Then again, maybe he has made us expect a lot from him
already.
There were no clear chances in the first half, but rather,
lots of interceptions in the middle of the park. Dimitar
Berbatov had a big chance when he stormed through the
Villa defence only to shoot right at keeper Gabor Kiraly.
Olof Mellberg and Aaron Hughes - in their attempts to
block Berbatov, collided, and Hughes was forced off
giving Mellberg a right-back role which helped Tottenham
hugely.
The next change came from the left, as Jermain Defoe
snapped a shot wide. Ghaly started the move with a nice
run and skill eventually leading to a disguised pass
down the line to over-lapping Chimbonda. He put the
ball into the centre for Berbatov to flick on for Defoe,
who hit the ball in the general direction of the far
post. Spurs' urgency cotinued, and Ghaly, receiving
the ball on the break, marched forward and provided
a through pass for Defoe, which he barely missed controlling.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The second half provided more of the same, and Ghaly was once
again trying to penetrate the defence with his passes. Though
the first of the half to Berbatov didn't work, Spurs managed
a goal nonetheless. Michael Dawson made a superb powerful
challenge which turned defence into attack, as it found Berbatov,
who faced the goal and played the ball to Defoe. The Englishman
controlled well and tucked the ball into the side of the net.
Ghaly tried to add a second when he showed good movement before
playing a one-two with Berbatov. The Bulgarian's return pass
was a little high however, and though Ghaly did manage to
run into the box to control the bouncing ball, he skied it
at the end.
Though he was having some positive impacts, Hossam Ghaly was
making far too many loose passes, and it was simply inevitable
that Martin Jol would replace him with Danny Murphy. With
Villa attacking, it was just as clear that Defoe was going
to get a second. The moment he found space after a header-on
from Berbatov, he slotted the ball past Kiraly to make it
2-0.
At the other end, Villa captain Gareth Barry latched onto
a Gabriel Agbonlahor delivery to slot it past Paul Robinson
from close range. And Defoe should have got a hat-trick but
Kiraly stopped his rather central shot.
The game finished 2-1. It was a good result for Spurs in a
game where Gavin McCann's resilience could have denied them
maximum points.
EP Ratings:
Tottenham: Robinson 6, Chimbonda 6, Lee 7, Dawson 7,
King 7, Malbranque 5, Zokora 8, Huddlestone 7, Ghaly 5
(Murphy 69' 6), Defoe 8 (Davenport 89' ?), Berbatov 8.
Aston Villa: Kiraly 6, Mellberg 5 (Osbourne 46' 5),
Hughes 6 (Ridgewell 36' 6), Cahill 5, Gardner 6, Barry 7,
McCann 8, Petrov 5 (Bouma 46' 5), Davis 5, Agbonlahor 5, Baros
5.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
