BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SUNDAY 23RD NOVEMBER, 2014
(4 pm)
HULL CITY 1 (1) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 (0)

Hull scorer:-
Livermore, 8

Spurs scorers:-
Kane, 61
Eriksen, 90

Attendance:- 23, 561

Referee:- Craig Pawson
Assistants:- P Kirkup & A Garratt
Fourth official:- C Foy

Teams:-
Hull (4-2-3-1):- McGregor; Elmohamady, Dawson, Davies (Capt.), Robertson; Livermore, Huddlestone (sub Rosenior, 64); Ben Arfa (sub Meyler, 57), Ramirez, Brady (sub Quinn, 87); Jelavic

Subs not used:- Harper; Chester, Sagbo, Hernandez

Booked:- Livermore (Dissent), Huddlestone (foul on Mason), Robertson (Dissent)

Sent off (49 mins):- Ramirez (Violent conduct)

Spurs (4-2-3-1):- Lloris (Capt.); Dier (sub Chiriches, 46), Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies; Dembele (sub Lennon, 59), Mason; Lamela, Kane, Eriksen; Soldado (sub Paulinho, 79)

Subs not used:- Vorm; Ball (number 46); Stambouli; Ceballos (number39)

Booked:- Dier (foul on Brady)

Villains and heroes

However much change was down to injury, and however much was down to Mauricio Pochettino’s team selection, the fact is that with 6 team changes since the home defeat by Stoke, Spurs were just as lamentable for much of the first half. In my preview, I referred to the risk of an “X-rated Ex-factor”, and lo and behold, one of the three ex-Spurs players in the Hull side did score in the 8th minute. That was Jake Livermore, who was not closed down, and fired low past Lloris’s right hand. To his credit, Livermore did not celebrate his blow against the club that had nurtured him from Academy days.

Spurs spent other occasions in the first half in disarray, and could easily have gone two or three down. They were playing with the lack of confidence of a relegation side. Passes were not finding their target, and what few chances that were created ended in easy shots for goalkeeper McGregor.

Spurs came to life in the second half, with an unlikely hero Vlad Chiriches (making his first Premier League appearance for two months) replacing Eric Dier at right back, and looking very lively. Once Aaron Lennon arrived on the scene, the two combined well on several occasions and within two minutes of Lennon’s arrival, Spurs had levelled the scores. By this time, Uruguayan Gaston Ramirez had been sent off, apparently not for kicking Dembele, but for a needless Beckham-like flick of his leg at Vertonghen, who was criticised after the game by Hull connections for “making a meal of it”. Referee Craig Pawson had not spotted any offence, but responded to the vigorous flag-waving of his assistant.

Once Spurs equalised, and Hull formed a back line of up to 6 players, there was only one likely winner, in my view, but it took until the very last minute (before added time) for Christian Eriksen to score a winning goal that led to yet another end of match wild celebration in the Spurs corner. That was the third last-ditch away win of the season, with such moments at Upton Park and Villa Park. Those three moments have surely been the best of the season so far. I can assure you that being there for such joy, just about made up for the gloom, despondency and plain cynicism in the Spurs section in that first half. There was a “Levy Out” banner being waved, but once the tide turned in Spurs’ favour, moods understandably changed.

Three of the back four were changed, with no Younes Kaboul; Naughton suspended, and Danny Rose injured. Hugo Lloris wore the Captain’s armband. I had hoped for a 4-4-1-1, but it was the same old 4-2-3-1 with Dembele partnering Mason (again one of our best outfield players in that first half), Eriksen nominally on the flank, and Harry Kane in the middle behind Soldado. Erik Lamela was the other wide man.

Spurs did have the first attack of note, with Ryan Mason breaking out of his own half, and starting a move of several passes, which ended with a weak Soldado shot into McGregor’s arms. Mason and Lamela were involved in another move on the right, with Soldado the intended recipient, but he could not make anything of the half-chance.

Spurs suffered the almost inevitable knock back, when they failed to clear their lines, and then failed to close down Livermore as he advanced down the right channel. Ben Davies was principally responsible, or irresponsible, however you like to look at it. Livermore hit a great low shot from 25 yards, which beat Lloris inside his right post. Even Hugo Lloris was not infallible today, as he came to the edge of his area to try and collect an aerial free kick. He failed to collect and Ramirez had a great chance to score, but his shot was cleared by Ben Davies.

Spurs were in great disarray after 20 minutes, when shots by Ben Arfa, Brady and Ramirez were either saved or blocked, before Ben Arfa fired wide with the goalmouth beckoning.

Soldado had another effort blocked after a good ball by Lamela. Mason was then fouled by his former club-mate, Tom Huddlestone. The referee chose to have “words” with Tom, who was greeted with Spurs chants when he took a corner on the right. Huddlestone actually got the ball past the first man too, which is more than Eriksen was managing at the other end. On the other hand, Eric Dier was booked for what looked like an honest challenge to me, as Brady advanced down the left. Dier’s booking was no doubt influential in his replacement by Chiriches. Lamela had a shot saved by McGregor at his right post, after Eriksen’s pass.

Lamela forced a Spurs corner after combining with Ben Davies, and after the corner, the ball reached Fazio beyond the back post. Fazio fired into the side netting. Lamela had one of those days when he often ran into a brick wall, but he did display great skill after 58 minutes in his own half, before the move developed via Mason, with Soldado not quite reaching the ball.

Spurs equalised from a free kick awarded for a foul by Davies on Soldado, who was advancing towards the box. There was no card for Davies, but Eriksen’s free kick rebounded off McGregor’s right post and Harry Kane followed up for his second league goal of the season, and his 11th in all club matches. Add the five goals he has scored for the England under-21 side, and our Harry is having quite a season.

Spurs had another free kick taken by Eriksen from the left, and Vertonghen tried an overhead kick at the back post, which went wide. He was unaware of Lennon behind him, in a better position to shoot. Eriksen combined with Chiriches down the right flank, and fed the ball in for Soldado, who pulled a golden opportunity wide of the far post. Chiriches and Lennon were providers for Kane who headed wide, when he too should have scored.

Davies made a run into the box and went down, but there was no penalty, and no appeal of note. However, the ball ran back to Mason who hit a terrific dipping shot, well saved by McGregor, with Soldado unable to convert, but winning a corner. Mason found Davies with a good pass, and in turn Lamela worked his way inside, but fired over the target. He too should have scored.

Hull managed an attack on the break, and Jelavic had a shot on goal, but it was outside Lloris’s left post. Mason was down for a while, having been fouled badly by Livermore, who could/should have seen a second yellow card. Paulinho was a late substitute for Soldado.

The Spurs winner came after a typically slow and patient build-up. Kane fed the bal back to Lennon, who passed to Eriksen, on his left, just outside the area. Like Livermore in the first half, Eriksen was allowed a shot on goal and he beat McGregor with a powerful right foot shot. Cue the Spurs celebrations, when one fan managed to encroach and join the pile of Spurs players. I am sure he had a smile on his face as he was ejected, or perhaps even arrested.

McGregor had been painfully slow with his goal kicks throughout the second half, but moved ever so quickly to take a kick in the four minutes of added time. Kane and Lamela did ever so well to play out a lot of this time near the right corner flag.

The win takes us back into the top half, above Liverpool, who lost at Selhurst Park today. We are level on points with Arsenal and Everton, who we play next Sunday at White Hart Lane. A home win would be most welcome. I should add that one feature of the second half, once Dembele was replaced by Lennon, was that Eriksen played a central role, and started in a deep position. He was clearly much more effective in this position.

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