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Match Reports
Preview Pack - Norwich v Spurs - 26.12.04

· Spurs fans! Find a hotel near the ground here!
· This season's home game - 0-0
· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 19 2003-4

Full Record of Spurs -v- Norwich City


Prem          Pl   W   D   L   F - A  Pts
Home           4   2   1   1   7 - 4   7
Away           3   2   1   0   4 - 1   7
=========================================
Total(Prem)    7   4   2   1  11 - 5   14
=========================================
Football Lge
Home (Div 1)  16   9   5   2  31 - 14  31
Away (Div 1)  16   3   5   8  20 - 30  12
=========================================
Total (Div 1) 32  12  10  10  51 - 44  33
Football Lge
Home (Div 2)   4   3   0   1  12 - 5    6
Away (Div 2)   4   2   0   2   6 - 6    4
=========================================
Total (Div 2)  8   5   0   3  18 - 11  10
=========================================
Total(Prem)    7   4   2   1  11 - 5   14
Total (Div 1) 32  12  10  10  51 - 44  33
Total (Div 2)  8   5   0   3  18 - 11  10
Grand Total)  47  21  12  14  80 - 60  57
=========================================
Last Six Premiership results:-


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)
Norwich

Charlton   4-0   Norwich 
Norwich    2-1   S'hampton
B'mingham  1-1   Norwich
Norwich    0-1   Fulham
Norwich    3-2   Bolton
Chelsea    4-0   Norwich 

Spurs

Spurs      4-5   Arsenal
A. Villa   1-0   Spurs
Spurs      2-0   M'brough
Blackburn  0-1   Spurs
Man City   0-1   Spurs
Spurs      5-1   S'hampton

Pos           P  W  D  L  F - A  GD  Pts
8   Spurs    18  7  4  7  21-18   3  25
17  Norwich  18  2  9  7  17-32 -15  15

Early this year, just before Spurs played their FA Cup 4th Round tie at The City of Manchester Stadium, I wrote this article, which highlighted Spurs last sequence of 4 successive league victories. Yes, in January this year, under the temporary stewardship of David Pleat, Spurs did have 4 successive wins, but one of them was in the Cup at home to Crystal Palace, when Fredi Kanoute scored a hat-trick. We then went on to beat Birmingham, Leeds and Liverpool in Premiership games, before coming to a sticky end at Fulham and then sensationally in the Cup Replay against City.

In the season of our last 4 league match-winning sequence, Spurs had had a terrible start, getting just two points in their first four games. We ultimately finished in our highest Premiership position of 7th, missing out on a UEFA Cup place only on the last day of the season at St. James Park, Newcastle. At Christmas that season, Spurs had a chance of going second, but fouled things up at home against a Bolton side that was supposed to be fodder, drawing 2-2. Teddy Sheringham and Chris Armstrong had given us a two-goal lead but Bolton's Green and ex-Spur Gudni Bergsson scored to give the lowly visitors a share of the points that day. At least we beat Manchester United on New Year's Day that season 4-1!

Spurs have only had two decent Christmas sequences in the last ten years. The last was five years ago in 99-2000. when we beat Watford and Liverpool, and drew at Villa Park (Re-live these matches here). Mind you, we had suffered the ignominy of an early FA Cup exit at Newcastle on December 22nd 1999, which clouded the next three games anyway.

It was exactly ten years ago in the 94-95 season (when Spurs were in the middle of a ten-match unbeaten league sequence) when Spurs had their best Premiership Christmas, during which, co-incidentally, they played both Norwich and Crystal Palace, our next two opponents this Festive Season. We beat Norwich away, drew 0-0 at home to Palace, then beat Coventry 4-0 at Highfield Road, before a great New Year win at home to Arsenal, thanks to a Gica Popescu goal on a freezing night.

Here we are then, 10 years later and spookily enough we play Palace and Norwich at Christmas again. Despite Spurs great current form, I am not going to be bullish about the Boxing Day fixture at Carrow Road. Although the Canaries' fans had to wait till 20th November for their first Premiership win of the season, their team has battled hard and drawn no less than 9 games, including their fine performance at White Hart lane earlier this season when neither side managed to score.

Norwich feature prospective England keeper Robert Green, and Darren Huckerby is always a danger without always managing to capitalise on his pace with an accurate finish or incisive pass. Gary Doherty played at Chelsea last week, but along with his colleagues will want to forget their 4-0 defeat. This was the third time that Norwich conceded 4 so far this season.

Once again Martin Jol will have choices, but I am sure he will want to field his strongest possible side for this game, before perhaps varying the team for the Palace game on Tuesday.

There is bound to be a great atmosphere at Carrow Road, which is a sell-out and has an extra 600 seats available for the first time, as their stadium development progresses. I think this game will be tight, and I'll predict a 1-1 draw.

Spurs are due a good Christmas results-wise, and I do fancy us to remain unbeaten until our New Year trip to Old Trafford on January 4th.

May I take this opportunity of wishing all readers a very Happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2005? Thanks for all your support of Spurs Odyssey. Please note that my match report for this game is not likely to be posted until Monday 27th December, when I shall also be previewing the Crystal Palace game.

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