We're on the up and up!
Christian Eriksen was the Spurs Odyssey man of the match at The KC Stadium in Sunday's 2-1 away victory. It was our third such win of the season, each of which has been achieved in the dying minutes of the game.
Commentators and pundits alike all made a big issue of the fact that our last two league wins had come against sides reduced to 10 men, but they conveniently forgot that the first away win, at Upton Park was achieved after our own Kyle Naughton was sent off for "preventing a goal-scoring opportunity" in the first half.
I did make a point of watching the TV recording of the second half of Sunday's game in its entirety, which illustrates that Spurs' football in this half was worth watching.
It was Eriksen's second man of the match win of the season, and by a strange co-incidence, his first was in the away win at Sunderland, where Eriksen also scored, and Craig Pawson was also the referee.
Mr. Pawson came in for plenty of stick over what pundits deemed to be a harsh red card against Ramirez, but it turns out he was particularly lenient over a Livermore challenge on Mason which should have been a second yellow card, and should have seen Hull reduced to 9 men.
Ben Davies made his first Premier League start of the season, and apart from his hesitation in closing down Livermore when the ex-Spurs midfielder scored, the foemer Swansea leaft back did pretty well, making the important block of Ramirez's shot after Hugo Lloris fumbled on the edge of his area. Davies looked comfortable going forward, but he has a way to go yet before comvincing Spurs fans of his worth.
Davies is still only 21, and has two good years' Premier League experience with Swansea, having started 65 league games in the last two seasons.
Here we are, 12 league games and a total of 20 games into the season, and despite our poor form so far, we are once again within reach of the top four, likely to qualify for the Europa League knock-out phase, and have a Capital One Cup quarter-final next month.
We're on the up and up, aren't we?
· See Sunday's spursometer in full.
Results 22-24.11.14
Chelsea 2-0 West Brom
Everton 2-1 West Ham
Leicester 0-0 S'derland
Man City 2-1 Swansea
Newcastle 1-0 QPR
Stoke 1-2 Burnley
Arsenal 1-2 Man Utd
C. Palace 3-1 Liverpool
Hull 1-2 Spurs
A. Villa 1-1 S'hampton
Barclays Premier League
P W D L F-A GD Pts
1. Chelsea 12 10 2 0 30-11 19 32
2. S'hampton 12 8 2 2 24-6 18 26
3. Man City 12 7 3 2 24-13 11 24
4. Man Utd 12 5 4 3 19-15 4 19
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5. Newcastle 12 5 4 3 14-15 -1 19
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6. West Ham 12 5 3 4 20-16 4 18
7. Swansea 12 5 3 4 16-13 3 18
8. Arsenal 12 4 5 3 20-15 5 17
9. Everton 12 4 5 3 22-19 3 17
10. Spurs 12 5 2 5 16-17 -1 17
11. Stoke 12 4 3 5 13-15 -2 15
12. Liverpool 12 4 2 6 15-18 -3 14
13. West Brom 12 3 4 5 13-17 -4 13
14. S'derland 12 2 7 3 12-19 -7 13
15. C. Palace 12 3 3 6 17-21 -4 12
16. A. Villa 12 3 3 6 6-17 -11 12
17. Hull 12 2 5 5 14-17 -3 11
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18. Leicester 12 2 4 6 11-18 -7 10
19. Burnley 12 2 4 6 8-20 -12 10
20. QPR 12 2 2 8 11-23 -12 8
