Happy Days!
I am writing this review on Dele Alli's 21st birthday (April 11th, 2017). "St. Hotspur Day" is three days away, and, (shall we call it?) "Arsenfall" day is drawing nearer. I should not really start this review of such a happy week-end with our enemies, but it is a sobering thought that in Dele Alli's lifetime, we have yet to finish above Arsene Wenger's team at the end of a Premier League season. Now that is almost certain to happen, and what's more, perhaps they won't be Wenger's team for much longer.
Social media has been fantastic entertainment for any Spurs fan from the moment Andros Townsend put Crystal Palace 1-0 up at Selhurst Park last night. I think my favourite post was a picture of stewards struggling with Arsenal fans and the caption "Disgusting scenes at Selhurst Park tonight as stewards forced Arsenal fans to stay and watch the game"
Without wishing to dwell on them, this is Arsenal's worst away Premier League run since April 1995 (also four defeats in a row) when they were managed by Stewart Houston, and they have conceded three goals in four consecutive away league games for the first time since September 1929. Long may this form continue.
Regarding birthday boy Dele Alli, this was the 22nd league game that Dele Alli has scored in and Spurs haven’t lost any of them. He is ranked fifth among the players who has never lost a Premier League game after scoring. James Milner tops the list having scored in 47 games without being beaten.
This was Alli’s 26th Premier league goal and only the second he has scored from outside the box. The other was the spectacular goal away to Crystal Palace last season.
Watford’s last league win against Spurs was in May 1987 at the end of the first Graham Taylor era. It was a week before the FA Cup final against Coventry City.
This was the tenth time in 44 games this season Spurs have scored four or more goals. They have scored four goals in both games against Stoke City and Watford in the league this season.
Harry Kane missed a total of 411 minutes between going off injured against Millwall and returning as a substitute against Watford. During that time Spurs scored 17 goals an average of one goal every 24 minutes. The goals came from Son 7, Alli 4, Eriksen 3, Dier 2 and Janssen 1. So was he really missed?
Kieran Trippier has started all four games against Watford over the past two seasons. He has scored or provided an assist in each game. He scored his only goal for the club to date in one of these games and provided four assists in the other three games. Kieran was awarded the man of the match award by Sky TV, but Son Heung-min won the vote of Spurs Odyssey contributors. With his two goals against Watford Son became the third Spurs player to reach double figures in the league this season (Kane 19, Alli 16 and Son 11). Eriksen needs three more goals to reach this mark.
Many thanks to Declan Mulcahy for much of the information quoted here. Declan has kindly offered to write the match report for Saturday's game against Bournemouth which I must miss for a very special and happy family occasion.
· See the spursometer in full.
Premier League results 08-10.04.17
Spurs 4-0 Watford
Man Cit 3-1 Hull
M'brough 0-0 Burnley
Stoke 1-2 Liverpool
West Brom 0-1 S'hampton
West Ham 1-0 Swansea
B'mouth 1-3 Chelsea
S'derland 0-3 Man Utd
Everton 4-2 Leicester
C. Palace 3-0 Arsenal
Premier League Table
P W D L F-A GD Pts
1. Chelsea 31 24 3 4 65-25 40 75
2. Spurs 31 20 8 3 64-22 42 68
3. Liverpool 32 18 9 5 68-40 28 63
4. Man City 31 18 7 6 60-35 25 61
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5. Man Utd 30 15 12 3 46-24 22 57
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6. Arsenal 30 16 6 8 61-39 22 54
7. Everton 32 15 9 8 57-36 21 54
8. West Brom 32 12 8 12 39-41 -2 44
9. S'hampton 30 11 7 12 37-37 0 40
10. Watford 31 10 7 14 36-52 -16 37
11. Leicester 31 10 6 15 39-51 -12 36
12. Burnley 32 10 6 16 32-44 -12 36
13. Stoke 32 9 9 14 34-48 -14 36
14. West Ham 32 10 6 16 42-57 -15 36
15. B'mouth 32 9 8 15 45-59 -14 35
16. C. Palace 31 10 4 17 42-50 -8 34
17. Hull 32 8 6 18 33-64 -31 30
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18. Swansea 32 8 4 20 37-67 -30 28
19. M'brough 31 4 12 15 22-37 -15 24
20. S'derland 31 5 5 21 24-56 -32 20
