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This preview was written by Brian Judson

Full Record of Tottenham Hotspur -v- Coventry City

Prem            Pl   W   D   L   For-Ag  Pts
Home             8   2   2   4    10-13   8
Away             8   4   1   3    11-10  13
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Total (Prem)    16   6   3   7    21-23  21
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Football Lge
Home (Div 1)    24  14   6   4    50-30  39
Away (Div 1)    24   8  10   6    33-30  29
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Total (Div 1)   48  22  16  10    83-60  68
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Football Lge
Home (Div 2)     8   6   2   0    18-5   14
Away (Div 2)     8   2   1   5     9-13   5
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Total (Div 2)   16   8   3   5    27-18  19
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Total (Prem)    16   6   3   7    21-23  21
Total (Div 1)   48  22  16  10    83-60  68
Total (Div 2)   16   8   3   5    27-18  19
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Grand Total     80  36  22  22   131-101 108
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When Tottenham play Coventry, it is not a game that stirs the pulses. It is usually a game in which Tottenham display condescension and arrogance and usually end up hanging on by their eyelids. In the past, we have committed suicide when key players, like Paul Gascoigne, have managed to get themselves injured or sent off.

Last season, Tottenham won both games against Coventry City. In the home game, played in September last year, we won 3-2.

Steffen Iversen scored the first, and made the other two Spurs' goals, to give the home side suitable reward for their domination of the first 50 minutes of this game. Spurs took the lead after 7 minutes. Ginola, being policed by up to three defenders, won a throw in, from which he passed to Taricco. The Argentinean left back put over a perfect cross for Iversen to step forward and shoot high into the goal for his third of the season.

After five minutes of the second half, Spurs increased their lead from a Ginola corner. Iversen met it with a header, and the ball hit Armstrong in front of the goalkeeper. having prevented the ball from going over the line, Armstrong redeemed himself, by turning and firing home his first goal of the season.

Two minutes later Spurs were three up. Armstrong received a long ball, and chested it to Iversen. He chipped the ball over the defence, and Leonhardsen headed the ball on, then hit a super right foot shot into the net. He was rightly acclaimed by the crowd, who recognise a worker, and an achiever.

Freund then appeared to be the victim of a heavy foul by Williams, but the referee let the game go on, and Spurs were caught on the hop to allow right back Edworthy a free run down the right. He found Keane, who turned the defender, and slotted past Walker in the 54th minute.

Coventry continued to play with some gusto, and Chippo scored a fine solo goal after 74 minutes. His first shot on goal was saved, but he easily sent the rebound into the net.

The return game in March was a game which lacked flow, and failed to set the pulses racing. It was won in typical George Graham fashion - by a solitary goal, and from a set piece, as Armstrong rose to head home Anderton's corner after 82 minutes. Spurs took the lead when Anderton took a corner on the right, which Armstrong met from about 15 yards out. Hedman seemed to get hold of the ball, but allowed it to trickle over the line beneath his body.

Over the years, Coventry have diced with relegation at the end of many seasons and have sometimes saved themselves by winning the final game of the season. It is hard to believe that Coventry have been members of the top flight since being promoted at the end of the 1966-67 season. They are the only club who can genuinely claim to have never been relegated from top flight football, unlike the outrageous claims put forward by a certain anonymous North London club from the other end of the Seven Sisters Road.

Coventry have only won one tangible honour in the 34 seasons since they have been promoted. Unfortunately amnesia on my part precludes me from stating when this occurred, something I am sure is shared by most Tottenham supporters.

However, Tottenham were the first visitors to Highfield Road back in season 1919-20 and thrashed Coventry 5-0. We went on to win the old Second Division championship that season, attaining 70 points from 42 matches, which was a record for many years.

I think that Tottenham are quite capable of winning tomorrow but that it will be a low scoring, possibly 1-0, game again. If we are to finish in the upper reaches of the Premier League, we MUST win tomorrow. My bet is that we will do so and that Steffan Iversen or Sergei Rebrov will score the vital goal.

Cheers, Brian

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