Another record falls
With thanks to my regular correspondent and contributor Paul Yarden, who runs the incredible THFC6061 Sports Stats site, I am able to tell you that Spurs achieved more than one record on Sunday when Liverpool came to Wembley. Not only did we beat the Premier League crowd record with the 80,827 figure, but we have also collected a record number of Premier League points after the first 9 games!
After 9 games last year, we were unbeaten on 19 points. Things were tighter at the top then with only one point separating the top five teams. We were fifth, and Liverpool were above us. This year we've won one more game, and lost one but we have reached 20 points at this stage for the first time. We've now reached 19 points or more after 9 games in 5 of the last 9 seasons. It is going to get harder for us to beat more records in the next year or two, but no doubt the team will keep trying!
Harry Kane was man of the match for the fifth time in the last six games, and unsurprisingly (and most deservedly!) leads the accumulative player of the season vote at this eary stage.
Dele Alli and Son both had their best performances so far this term according to Spurs Odyssey voters. There was an excellent piece in yesterday's Guardian about Dele and his effectiveness playing from a deeper position. There have been doubters about Dele this season amongst our fans, but personally I have always felt he is "the man most likely to" do something special - apart from score as prolifically as Harry Kane, of course!
Here are a couple of voters' comments made this week:-
· "One has to remember that while Harry whacked in 2 goals our Captain Hugo made 3 extraordinary saves. No one saw this result coming (Ed:- I did predict 3-1!)but the squad are acting like a team! More so than any other PL team! Harry was electrifying. Son, and yes Dele Alli finally had a game where we saw his true focus. Eriksen, Winks did well but the back 3 again were superb."
· "Another amazing performance to end a memorable week. Hugo superb, that incredible back three and of course Harry, virtually unplayable. Winks again a more than capable deputy for Dembele whilst Son was unlucky not to have had a brace hitting the bar with the sweetest move of the game. This was clearly the best Wembley performance and bodes really well for the rest of the season."
Going back to the table after 9 games, it is interesting to note that three of last year's bottom four at this stage were relegated. Everton, Stoke, West Ham and Swansea are all on 8 points with Leicester just above them on 9. Already this season three managers of those bottom seven clubs have been sacked. Slaven Bilic, whose West Ham come to Wembley tomorrow night for a Carabao Cup game should be worried.
· See the spursometer in full.
Results 20-22.10.17
West Ham 0-3 Brighton
Chelsea 4-2 Watford
Hds'field 2-1 Man Utd
Man City 3-0 Burnley
Newcastle 1-0 C. Palace
Stoke 1-2 B'mouth
Swansea 1-2 Leicester
S'hampton 1-0 West Brom
Everton 2-5 Arsenal
Spurs 4-1 Liverpool
Premier League Table - 2017-18
P W D L F-A GD Pts
1. Man City 9 8 1 0 32-4 28 25
2. Man Utd 9 6 2 1 22-4 18 20
3. Spurs 9 6 2 1 19-6 13 20
4. Chelsea 9 5 1 3 17-10 7 16
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5. Arsenal 9 5 1 3 17-12 5 16
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6. Watford 9 4 3 2 15-17 -2 15
7. Newcastle 9 4 2 3 10-8 2 14
8. Burnley 9 3 4 2 8-9 -1 13
9. Liverpool 9 3 4 2 14-16 -2 13
10. S'hampton 9 3 3 3 8-9 -1 12
11. H'dsfield 9 3 3 3 7-10 -3 12
12. Brighton 9 3 2 4 9-10 -1 11
13. West Brom 9 2 4 3 7-10 -3 10
14. Leicester 9 2 3 4 12-14 -2 9
15. Swansea 9 2 2 5 6-10 -4 8
16. West Ham 9 2 2 5 8-17 -9 8
17. Stoke 9 2 2 5 10-20 -10 8
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18. Everton 9 2 2 5 7-18 -11 8
19. B'mouth 9 2 1 6 6-13 -7 7
20. C. Palace 9 1 0 8 2-19 -17 3
