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Full Record of Spurs -v- Arsenal

Prem          Pl  W   D   L  For-Ag  Pts
Home          16  4   8   4  21 -23  20
Away          15  1   6   8  10 -22   9
========================================
Total(Prem)   31  5  14  12  31 -45  29
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Football Lge
Home(Div 1)   55 24  12  19  93 -83  63
Away(Div 1)   55 16  12  27  65 -85  46
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Total(Div 1) 110 40  24  46 158 -168 109
========================================
Total(Prem)   31  5  14  12  31 -45  29
Total(Div 1) 110 40  24  46 158 -168 109
========================================
Grand Total  141 45  38  58 189 -213 138
========================================

Arsenal

Reading    1-3   Arsenal
Arsenal    2-0   Wigan
A. Villa   1-2   Arsenal
Newcastle  1-1   Arsenal
M'brough   2-1   Arsenal
Arsenal    1-0   Chelsea

Spurs

M'brough   1-1   Spurs
Spurs      4-0   Wigan
West Ham   1-1   Spurs
Spurs      2-3   Birmingham
Spurs      2-1   Man City
P'tsmouth  0-1   Spurs

Pos          P  W  D  L   F-A  GD  Pts
 1 Arsenal  17 12  4  1  34-14 20  40
12 Spurs    17  4  6  7  29-29  0  18

· 02.12.06 - Arsenal 3 Spurs 0 - Oh Spurs, why do I love you and hate you?
· 22.04.06 - Arsenal 1 Spurs 1 - Now this WAS fun!
· 25.04.05 - Arsenal 1 Spurs 0 - Reyes goal seals the win
· 08.11.03 - Arsenal 2 Spurs 1 - Anderton gives Spurs early lead but .......
· 16.11.02 - Arsenal 3 Spurs 0 - Henry ran 60yards to score and back again

It is rarely, if ever, a pleasant experience to go to the home of our neighbours, and this year is no different. Last year, early in the month of December, we simply surrendered and went down 3-0. In January we played the second leg of the Carling Cup semi-final at The Emirates Stadium, and lost 3-1 in extra time, after famously surrendering a 2-0 home advantage to draw that first leg. Now we know we face the gooners again in a League Cup semi-final. This time, we will be at home for the second leg, so maybe we can do better this time around.

To have to go to the home of the Premier League leaders who stand 22 points above us on the last Saturday before Christmas is quite frankly an awful proposition. It would be all very well to travel (as always) in hope, but in reality we have to face the fact we still haven't beaten them since 1999.

At the end of my match report following the 3-1 home defeat in September, I wrote the following:-

"I feel heartily depressed and thoroughly sickened by my team, whose fitness, strategy, and at times lack of effort leads to poor results. One man has to shoulder the blame for the frailty of our side, despite the talent laid at his feet. I love the guy, but I am now committed to Spurs finding a replacement for Martin Jol."

It took a while of course, but in Juande Ramos we have found a man who has created a fitter team; a team that is making 100% effort for 90 minutes; that is getting results now, even in the face of the adversity of so many absences in defence through injury and suspension. In Juande Ramos we have found a man who will at least ensure that the Spurs team that goes out on Saturday lunch-time in its white kit will give us fans the fight, commitment and effort we are entitled to expect.

I was going to hark back to Christmas meetings of the past between these two sides, but let's accentuate the positive and look to the future, shall we? Under Ramos, Spurs have now lost just one game in eleven, and won their last three games against teams who are in contending places for the battle for Europe.

As for team news, Arsenal will no doubt be a completely different team from that which beat Blackburn on Tuesday night, whilst we were winning at Manchester City. They will be without Eboue, who has been regularly playing on the wide right this season.

Spurs' appeal over Zokora's red card at Eastlands has failed, so he will miss out, and perhaps Spurs will have to start with the back four that played those last 70 minutes heroically. Robbie Keane will be back from his harsh suspension, and the Spurs midfield needs the pace it had in its starting line-up of the last two games.

I shall be anaesthetising myself fully before this game, and we all know that a draw would be a great result in our present situation. Anything better and I'll be topping up the anaesthetic on the way home! Somehow, I don't think I'll have the need, and I fear we shall all have to put this one out of our minds before we celebrate Christmas.

COME ON YOU SPURS!

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