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Spurs Odyssey Preview - Spurs v Reading, 01.01.13

· This Season's away game - Reading 1 Spurs 3
· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 21 2011-12

· See the current injury list for all Premiership Teams
· All the Spurs Stats you could hope for here! THFC6061 Sports Stats

Full Record of Spurs -v- Reading



Prem         Pl   W   D   L    For-Ag  Pts
Home          2   2   0   0     7 - 4   6
Away          3   2   0   1     5 - 4   6
==========================================
Total(Prem)   5   4   0   1    12 - 8  12
==========================================
Lge Div 1
Home          0   0   0   0     0 - 0   0
Away          0   0   0   0     0 - 0   0
==========================================
Total(Div 1)  0   0   0   0     0 - 0   0
==========================================
Lge Div 2
Home          3   1   2   0     9 - 3   4
Away          3   1   0   2     5 - 8   2
==========================================
Total(Div 2)  6   2   2   2    14 -11   6
==========================================
Total(Prem)   5   4   0   1    12 - 8  12
Total(Div 1)  0   0   0   0     0 - 0   0
Total(Div 2)  6   2   2   2    14 -11   6
==========================================
Grand Total  11   6   2   3    26 -19  18
==========================================

Last Six Premier League results:-

Spurs

Fulham     0-3   Spurs
Everton    2-1   Spurs
Spurs      1-0   Swansea
Spurs      0-0   Stoke
A. Villa   0-4   Spurs
Sunderland 1-2   Spurs

Reading

S'hampton  1-0   Reading
S'derland  3-0   Reading
Reading    2-5   Arsenal
Man City   1-0   Reading
Reading    0-0   Swansea
Reading    1-0   West Ham

Pos           P   W  D  L   F-A   GD  Pts
 4. Spurs    20  11  3  6  36-26  10   36
19. Reading  20   2  7 11  22-37 -15   13

Could there be another goal-fest?

Tomorrow's game against Reading will be only our third ever home matcch against "The Royals" in the Premier League. Who could forget the last occasion, five years ago on 29th December, 2007, when Dimitar Berbatov scored 4 goals, and we beat Reading 6-4 in a ten-goal football bonanza? (Spurs 6 Reading 4 - 29.12.07). Steed Malbranque and Jermain Defoe were also on the score-sheet that day for Spurs. Spurs fan Dave Kitson scored two of Reading's goals. Kitson (now 32) has been around a bit since then, and is currently plying his trade at Sheffield United.

There are very few survivors from either team still in the respective squads today. Left back Nicky Shorey has spent time at Aston Villa and West Brom, before returning to the Madejski, and goalkeeper Adam Federici was on the bench for the 6-4 game.

That 6-4 was only the tenth ten goal aggregate score in a Spurs league game to yield that number of goals. Since then, Spurs 9 Wigan 1 has been added to the list.

Reading have been involved in some high scoring games again this season. They lost 7-5 at home to Arsenal in a memorable league cup game where they had been 4-0 up, but allowed the Gooners to stage a remarkable come-back. "The Royals" held the lead three times at home against Man Utd in on December 1st, but lost 4-3, with all seven goals scored in the first 34 minutes. Then, two weeks ago, they lost again at home to Arsenal, this time 5-2.

Despite Reading's lowly status and ability to ship goals, and our recent winning form, Spurs fans should not count their chickens with regard to goals tomorrow. Reading have hit a bit of defensive form, conceding just the one goal in their last three games. It took a last minute goal by Gareth Barry to give Man City thee win in their fortress stadium. Since then, Brian McDermott's side kept a clean sheet at home to Swansea (0-0), and beat West Ham 1-0, following a disatsrous mistake by West Ham's James Collins. Spurs will have to look out for the cheating Adam Le Fondre too, as he is not averse to trying to punch the ball into the net.

When we met at the Madejski in September, Spurs kick-started their season with a 3-1 win and their best footballing display of their first four games. Defoe scored twice, and Bale got the other to take a 3-0 lead. Robson-Kanu's 90th minute goal was nothing more than a consolation, missed by a fair number of home fans departing early.(Reading 1 Spurs 3 - 16.09.12)

We will have to do without Bale tomorrow, of course, as he will be unjustly suspended, following a fifth booking at Sunderland on Saturday. Clint Dempsey made a return following a hamstring problem, and could be chosen ahead of Townsend to play from the left side, with Andre Villas-Boas opting for experience ahead of the pace and flair of Townsend. Townsend is likey to get a start in next Saturday's FA Cup tie against Coventry, wheras Dempsey has also been in form recently, and was effecctive from the left wing starting position, when Bale missed three games in early December.

AVB has said that Benoit Assou-Ekotto could be available for this game, or Coventry. Jan Vertonghen will surely return to the starting line-up tomorrow, but Younes Kaboul is still a possible 5 weeks away from fitness.

Despite Reading's recent resistance, and the likelihood they will try to defend tomorrow, Spurs surely have the form, confidence and ability in the locker to cast them aside and go into the New Year in a supremely confident frame of mind. A good win would allay the feelings of those home fans who still harbour negativity regarding their Head Coach.

I'm going for a 3-0 win!

I wish all readers a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

The referee for this game will be Howard Webb, who also took charge of the away game against Reading. We last saw him officiate in our away game against Arsenal.

· 10 years ago, we lost 1-0 at Southampton

· What happened 10 years ago in the Premier League?

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