Whatever happened to the Wembley "Hoodoo"?
Early in the season, almost all the press could talk about regarding Tottenham was the Wembley "Hoodoo" after we managed just one win in our first four "home" games, and took six games in all competitions before we won our first "home" Premier League game. Now, in our last 11 home games we have won 9 and drawn just 2. We have not conceded a goal in the last three games at Wembley. Long may that form continue, especially when Arsenal travel west next week! Spurs are now unbeaten in their last 9 games in all competitions at home and away.
Our biggest crowds and our best performances have been against Liverpool, Real Madrid and now Manchester United. There has to be some correlation there, and I am sure we will see another massive attendance, and a great performance for the Arsenal game.
As mentioned in the match report, the last time we beat United in three consecutive home games was in the sixties. In fact, if you add an FA Cup game early in 1968, you can make that four games. That run started with a 1-0 in February 1965, when Ron Henry scored his one and only goal in first team football, which included 247 appearances for Spurs. Ron Henry died at Christmas time in 2014, and was remembered with a minute's applause before our next home game on 28th December against - Manchester United. The next home win of that sixties sequence came in October 1965 and was the 5-1 mentioned in my match preview, and the final league win of that run was in September 1966 when Gilzean and Greaves scored late goals to overhaul Denis Law's 43rd minute opener. Three legendary goal scorers there!
After September 1966, we didn't play a home league game against United until February 1968, which we lost, but that was preceded by a 1-0 extra-time FA Cup third round replay which was won with a Jimmy Robertson goal. Incidentally, both Joe Kinnear and Brian Kidd were sent off in the 56th minute of that game.
The United game is just the first of three crunch Premier League games, but if Spurs can maintain the exciting form shown on Wednesday then surely everything is possible at Anfield and at home against Arsenal. We still have to host Manchester City and visit Stamford Bridge, but in Premier League match 28 Chelsea travel to Old Trafford and Man City face Arsenal, and the week after that Chelsea are at The Etihad.
There is a lot of excitement to come yet in this Premier League season, and I suppose it is inevitable that Spurs are fifth favourites to finish in the top four with the bookies, who are clearly heavily influenced by the current positions in the table. You might think otherwise and consider this opportunity with www.nodepositbonus.co.uk for an investment.
Christian Eriksen was your man of the match against Man Utd, but there were excellent performances all round. See the spursometer for full details.
Results 30-31.01.18
Swansea 3-1 Arsenal
West Ham 1-1 C. Palace
Hds'field 0-3 Liverpool
Chelsea 0-3 B'mouth
Everton 2-1 Leicester
Newcastle 1-1 Burnley
S'hampton 1-1 Brighton
Man City 3-0 West Brom
Stoke 0-0 Watford
Spurs 2-0 Man Utd
Premier League Table - 2017-18
P W D L F-A GD Pts
1. Man City 25 22 2 1 73-18 55 68
2. Man Utd 25 16 5 4 49-18 31 53
3. Liverpool 25 14 8 3 57-29 28 50
4. Chelsea 25 15 5 5 45-19 26 50
=========================================
5. Spurs 25 14 6 5 49-22 27 48
=========================================
6. Arsenal 25 12 6 7 46-34 12 42
7. Burnley 25 9 8 8 20-22 -2 35
8. Leicester 25 9 7 9 37-34 3 34
9. Everton 25 8 7 10 28-40 -12 31
10. B'mouth 25 7 7 11 28-36 -8 28
11. Watford 25 7 6 12 33-44 -11 27
12. West Ham 25 6 9 10 31-43 -12 27
13. C. Palace 25 6 8 11 23-38 -15 26
14. Newcastle 25 6 6 13 23-35 -12 24
15. Brighton 25 5 9 11 18-34 -16 24
16. Stoke 25 6 6 13 25-50 -25 24
17. H'dsfield 25 6 6 13 19-44 -25 24
=========================================
18. S'hampton 25 4 11 10 25-36 -11 23
19. Swansea 25 6 5 14 18-36 -18 23
20. West Brom 25 3 11 11 19-34 -15 20
