Consent Preferences Spurs Odyssey - Preview Pack - Arsenal v Spurs - 25.04.05
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Match Reports
Preview Pack - Arsenal v Spurs - 25.04.05

· Last Year's Game - 2-1 to Arsenal
· This season's home game - 5-4 to Arsenal
· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 35 2003-4


Full Record of Spurs -v- Arsenal

Prem          Pl  W   D   L  For-Ag  Pts
Home          13  4   6   3  17 -17  18
Away          12  1   5   6   9 -17   8
========================================
Total(Prem)   25  5  11   9  26 -34  26
=======================================
Football Lge
Home(Div 1)   55 24  12  19  93 -83  63
Away(Div 1)   55 16  12  27  65 -85  46
========================================
Total(Div 1) 110 40  24  46 158 -168 109
========================================
Total(Prem)   25  5  11   9  26 -34  26
Total(Div 1) 110 40  24  46 158 -168 109
========================================
Grand Total  135 45  35  55 184 -202 135
========================================
Last Six Premiership results:-

Arsenal

S'hampton  0-0  Arsenal
Arsenal    3-0  P'tsmouth
Blackburn  0-1  Arsenal
Arsenal    4-1  Norwich
M'brough   0-1  Arsenal
Chelsea    0-0  Arsenal
Great new Spurs Head to Head Records in this new publication! (Spurs Odyssey is grateful to Bredon Books Publishing for their permission to quote certain statistics from their book in the compilation of this preview)

Spurs

Charlton   2-0   Spurs
Spurs      2-1   Man City
B'mingham  1-1   Spurs
Spurs      1-0   Newcastle
Liverpool  2-2   Spurs
Spurs      1-1   West Brom

Pos        P W  D  L  F-A  GD  Pts
2 Arsenal 33 21 8  4 73-33 40  71
8 Spurs   34 13 9 12 42-38  4  48

20 years ago, Spurs were top of the league on New Year's Day after beating Arsenal on their territory. Picture courtesy of Han Van Eijden

Another very popular Spurs' site features the above picture on the first page of its message board. The members ensure it is "bumped" to the top of the board daily. The picture was kindly sent to me by the owner of the copyright (Han Van Eijden) 5 years ago, and it is about time I used it (with kind permission) at Spurs Odyssey.

The picture is taken with the scoreboard at The Clock End of Highbury showing Spurs in the lead by 2 goals to 1. It was just over 20 years ago on New Years'Day, and apart from an end of season 3-1 win in 1993, this was the only Spurs away win in the last 20 years. Spurs arrived as leaders of the League, and Arsenal were fourth. Spurs finished in 3rd and Arsenal 7th. Arsenal's scorer was Tony Woodcock, and Garth Crooks and Mark Falco scored for Spurs. Incredibly for an attacking player, Mark Falco was the third ever-present for Spurs in league matches that season, alongside Ray Clemence and Steve Perryman.

Spurs have won 45 and Arsenal 55 of the 135 League Fixtures between the sides. Only Manchester United have played more cometitive games against us than Arsenal. The figures 4 and 5 have a spooky connection to this season's home game that was surely enjoyed by all but Spurs' fans, in one of the highest scoring Premiership games. We have drawn 35 of those 135 meetings and strangely our 35th match of last season was between the same sides when a 2-2 ensured that Premiership title went to Highbury.

This week, Arsenal are playing not for the title (although mathematically that race is not quite over), but to secure the 2nd place that will guarantee Champions' League football next season, rather than having to qualify in 3rd or 4th place. They must of course be favourites, and with that objective there is no chance of them letting up in our game. Not that we would expect that of course, despite the absence of Henry and Ljungberg through injury. The man who walked away from Tottenham 4 years ago is apparently not likely to start, but to be on the bench. The passing time does not diminish the hatred felt for him by Spurs' fans.

Middlesbrough achieved a convincing 4-0 over West Brom on Saturday to take 7th place, and Spurs need every point going to try and not only win back that place, but to secure it. Fredi Kanoute is likely to be fit and will surely start, alongside either Keane or Defoe. Michael Brown's recuperation continues, and Sean Davis will probably start in the middle. I fancy that the more combative Ziegler will start on the left, rather than Andy Reid, but as always these days, the Spurs starting eleven is likely to be different from the last.

All I can say in conclusion is that Spurs ought to add to their meagre total of victories at Highbury, before the Stadium is evacuated, but even at my most optimistic, I can't predict more than a draw. I'll go for 1-1, with Kanoute to get on the score-sheet.

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