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· Last Year's Game - 3-1 to Reading
· This season's home game - 6-4 to Spurs!
· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 37 2006-07
· NEW! - See the current injury list for all Premiership Teams!
Full Record of Spurs -v- Reading
Prem Pl W D L For-Ag Pts
Home 2 2 0 0 7 - 4 6
Away 1 0 0 1 1 - 3 0
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Total(Prem) 3 2 0 1 8 - 7 6
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Lge Div 1
Home 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0
Away 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0
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Total(Div 1) 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0
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Lge Div 2
Home 3 1 2 0 9 - 3 4
Away 3 1 0 2 5 - 8 2
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Total(Div 2) 6 2 2 2 14 -11 6
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Total(Prem) 3 2 0 1 8 - 7 6
Total(Div 1) 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0
Total(Div 2) 6 2 2 2 14 -11 6
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Grand Total 9 4 2 3 22 -18 12
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Last Six Premiership results:-
Reading
Reading 2-1 B'mingham
Reading 0-0 Blackburn
Newcastle 3-0 Reading
Reading 0-2 Fulham
Arsenal 2-0 Reading
Wigan 0-0 Reading
Spurs
Spurs 2-0 P'tsmouth
Spurs 1-4 Newcastle
Blackburn 1-1 Spurs
Spurs 1-1 M'brough
Wigan 1-1 Spurs
Spurs 1-1 Bolton
Pos P W D L F-A GD Pts
11 Spurs 36 10 13 13 65-59 6 43
17 Reading 36 9 6 21 37-65 -28 33
It is impossible to start this preview without making reference to the astounding 6-4 win at White Hart Lane on December 29th.
Reading arrived at The Lane one place and one point above us in the Premier League, on the back of 5 unbeaten matches, when they had beaten Liverpool and Sunderland. Spurs fan Dave Kitson (who was sighted down the High Road on the night of the Arsenal game) played and scored two goals against us. Kitson's two goals gave Reading the lead twice, when they went 3-2, then 4-3 up.
Dimitar Berbatov was the four-goal star of this festival of football, and had given Spurs an early lead. Reading equalised through Kalifa Cisse, after Paul Robinson weakly punched the ball down the Cisse, who gratefully accepted the offering. In a 10-goal game, only two were scored in that first half, and Spurs finally overcame, with Malbranque scoring the 4-4 equaliser. Robbie Keane had a penalty saved, and this was the goal scored by Jermain Defoe, where he had encroached before the kick was taken. Berbatov wrapped it up with a superb shot from Kaboul's long pass.
Berbatov scored two more goals in the 2-2 FA Cup Third Round home game a week later. This was the game where Paul Robinson carried Hunt's long-range free kick over the line, and paid for his mistake, with Radek Cerny taking over for the Carling Cup semi-final at The Emirates Stadium. Since then, of course, Robinson has never been certain of his place, and despite recovery from in jury in time for last week's game, had to sit on the bench. Robinson is expected to be part of Ramos's close-season cull of players. Spurs won the replay (still with Cerny in goal) with a Robbie Keane goal.
Reading's league defeat at The Lane heralded a disastrous run of 8 consecutive defeats, which finally ended in March with a win at Middlesbrough. Since then, Steve Coppell's side have won just two more games (at home against Man City and Birmingham), but even managed to lose at home against Fulham, still trying to claw a path to safety.
Such is the dismal form of Reading that have not even managed to score in their last four games against Blackburn, Newcastle, Arsenal, and last week at Wigan. Obviously they and their fans will be going all out for three points in their last home game of the season, but perhaps their saving grace will be that their final game is at Pride Park, where Derby have been well and truly confirmed as the worst Premier League team ever.
The "Royals" will take heart from their 3-1 win in last season's corresponding game. Spurs will be trying to bring an end to a run of four 1-1 draws on the trot, something I cannot find matched in the Spurs record books. There has been at least one longer draw sequence (in 1975), so we will not be re-writing any records just yet.
Brynjar Gunnarsson is Reading's only injured absentee, with a groin injury, but he's not been a regular first team player anyway. Kitson is the top scorer this season, with 9 league goals, and Leroy Lita has been recalled early from his loan to Charlton, and may partner Kitson tomorrow.
Alan Hutton is fit again for Spurs, having had to go off at half-time last week with a toe injury.
Reading will be anxiously watching for the score in the match between Fulham and Birmingham, but of course will be seeking a win to remain in control of their own destiny for the final week of the Premier League.
It's another showdown game then involving a Spurs team that may not be sufficiently committed. I fear that the home crowd and the greater desire for victory may lead to a win for Reading, but I am going for a Spurs win! (3-1)
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