Paul Wilson was at Turf Moor to witness this particular game of two halves. Here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM ... and enjoy the rest of your sporting weekend. Nighty night!
And now here’s Sean Dyche’s take on the refusal of the officials to give Burnley a penalty for the Sanchez-Wood incident. “People are falling all over the place. Today we saw it with Joe Gomez: he gets a push in the back and I guarantee if he flails his arms about and goes rolling on the floor, it’s given. Because he tries to do the right thing, it’s not given and Bournemouth get a goal from it. A similar thing with Chris Wood, who has tried to bring the ball down on his chest and turn in the box. The bloke came through the back of him, it’s a definite penalty, nothing given. If he falls on the floor holding his face, he probably gets it. I think the game has got to be careful. You can’t not get a decision because you’re trying to play the game correctly. I can bore myself stupid about this!”
Jose Mourinho’s verdict is in, mainly on Ndombele by the sounds of it. “The quality and dynamic of Lucas and Lo Celso made a difference. I want to say, but I cannot say: we had something in the second half that we didn’t in the first. Lucas had fatigue, Lo Celso had, Bergwijn had, Alli had, and they gave what you saw. Don’t ask me much more than this. I was expecting players not tired to give more to the team. Somebody has to realise this is the Premier League ... I hope that next season he can be fantastic, because until now it is not enough. Skipp is a kid, he had a fantastic 120 minutes, I needed to protect Winks. He is in evolution and I would never want to criticise a kid like him.”
Dele Alli speaks to Sky. “There was a lot of aggression [in the Spurs dressing room at half-time]. We knew we weren’t good enough, though it’s a difficult place to come. If you lose focus, they can punish you. It was a sticky changing room to be in! We probably should have won the game, we created enough to win. I knew it was going to be a physical battle, but I tried to help the team as much as I could. It’s a great achievement [to reach 50 Premier League goals] but I’d swap all 50 for the three points and the win.” He also reveals - with a huge cheeky grin on his face - that he knew he’d send Nick Pope the wrong way with the penalty ... because they practice together with England, and Alli usually puts the ball in the opposite corner. “He asked me why I switched sides! I said I knew he thought I would go that way!”
Burnley end the day in tenth spot on 39 points. Tottenham are in eighth, two points ahead on 41. The race for Europe has a crowded field, with Burnley only six points shy of fourth-placed Chelsea, albeit having now played one more game.
FULL TIME: Burnley 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
The corner’s hit long. Wood chests down at the far post, but can’t get a shot on target. And that’s that! A draw that will please neither side in the push for Europe. But on balance the right result. Burnley were the better team in the first half, Spurs in the second. Though the hosts will point to Sanchez’s shove on Wood, and the referee’s refusal to award a penalty kick.
90 min +4: McNeil crosses from the left, forcing Alderweireld to chest behind for a corner. One last chance for the hosts!
90 min +3: Westwood is booked for kicking the ball away in frustration at the award of a garden-variety free kick in midfield.
90 min +2: McNeil makes to tear away down the left. Lo Celso pulls him back by the shorts, and goes into the book for his brazen cheek.
90 min +1: A free kick for Spurs out on the right. Lo Celso takes it, but not particularly well.
90 min: There will be four extra minutes for the two sides to find a precious winner.
89 min: Aaron Lennon, formerly of Spurs, comes on for Hendrick.
87 min: And it’s no good.
86 min: Both teams are pushing hard for the winner, and this is great entertainment. Aurier makes good down the right and cuts back for Alli, whose first-time slapshot is deflected into the side netting. The first corner, from the right, is punched over the bar by Pope. The second will come from the left.
84 min: What a save by Lloris! Bardsley sends a long diagonal into the Spurs box from the right. A poor clearing header by Sanchez, who has been dismal today. McNeil tries the spectacular volley. The ball breaks to Vydra, who whips a shot towards the bottom right. Lloris parries, and Alderweireld clears. Time stood still when the ball was at Vydra’s feet, though much good it did him.
82 min: Lo Celso has been excellent, as usual, since coming on. He nearly scores a spectacular goal, taking a touch to the right of the D and curling powerfully towards the top left. He’s got Pope beaten, but the ball sails inches wide. Such a fine effort.
81 min: Moura drives at Burnley. He rolls a pass left towards Alli and Vertonghen; the former leaves it to the latter, whose first-time shot is blocked. Burnley go up the other end, Wood slapping a 20-yarder straight at Lloris, who looks fine after that earlier injury scare.
80 min: Moura shoots from distance. His effort is deflected wide left for a corner. The set piece is hacked clear, then the ball is returned by Tanganga, who sends a wild effort high into the stand behind the goal.
78 min: Yet another yellow card, as Bergwijn tugs back Hendrick. Spurs make their last change, replacing Lamela with Aurier.
77 min: Wood takes a crack from distance. It’s straight at Lloris, who handles well, with Vydra closing in, hoping for another fumble.
76 min: Lo Celso swings in the free kick. Pope climbs highest to claim. It’s good fun, this second half, with both teams going hard for the winner.
75 min: Hendrick is booked for a cynical check on Bergwijn, who was motoring down the left. A free kick in a dangerous position. Spurs load the box.
74 min: There was a defensive nick on that Alli shot. It should have been a Spurs corner, but they’re not getting it. Alli’s far from happy.
73 min: ... Lloris comes through a crowded box to punch clear. Spurs break at great speed through Bergwijn, Alli eventually flashing a diagonal shot wide left from a position on the right.
72 min: More space for Taylor out on the left. His cross is slapped out for a corner. From which ...
71 min: McNeil slips Vydra away down the inside right. He drops a shoulder to get inside Vertonghen, but as he cocks his leg back to shoot, is dispossessed by Dier’s sliding tackle. A goal-saving challenge by Dier.
70 min: Alli drives at the Burnley back line. He slips a pass wide right for Moura, who fizzes in a low cross. Tarkowski flicks the ball clear just in time, with white shirts lurking.
69 min: Taylor, in a tight spot near the left-hand corner flag, digs out an excellent cross. Lloris claims, but hurts himself as he makes the save. A theatrical grimace. He might be worth keeping an eye on.
68 min: Rodriguez is replaced by Vydra, recently in the goals against Southampton and Bournemouth.
67 min: This is a completely different game now. Spurs are dominating possession, pushing Burnley back into their final third. Skipp and Ndombele will be feeling a little down right now.
65 min: Moura and Lamela attempt a one-two down the inside-right channel. Had Moura not fallen over, he’d have gathered the return pass and would have been clear on goal. Lamela claims Moura was illegally bodychecked by Mee, but the referee isn’t interested.
63 min: Bergwijn embarks on a power skitter down the left. He loses possession upon entering the box, but that’s another example of Spurs moving up a gear since the equaliser. They’ve been much more positive, on the front foot at last.
61 min: Spurs are making sorties into enemy territory now. Lo Celso is at the heart of much of it. Alli and Lamela appear rejuvenated too, exchanging crisp passes down the middle and nearly opening Burnley up. Much better from the visitors.
59 min: Taylor zips down the left. His excellent low cross is dummied by Wood, but there’s nobody behind him to take a shot. Moura breaks upfield, and is tactically bowled over by Cork, who is the latest figure to go in the book.
58 min: A corner for Spurs out on the left. It’s worked back out to Alderweireld, who welts a long-range effort over the bar. Pope had it covered.
57 min: As if to illustrate the point, Sanchez barges into the back of Wood again, as the striker makes his way down the left wing. This time it’s a foul and a booking! The resulting free kick comes to nought. Then Tarkowski clips Alli at high speed and he’s in the book as well. The home side, and their fans, are greatly irritated at the minute.
55 min: A Burnley throw from the right. It’s flung into the box towards Wood, who is barged clumsily from behind by Sanchez. Anywhere else on the pitch, and that’s a foul. Not in the area, it would seem. The referee waves play on, preposterously so. Burnley are rightly livid.
53 min: Burnley will be wondering how they’re no longer ahead. The penalty came out of nowhere, and it was the only coherent move Spurs have put together since the opening minute. But the visitors now have the collective tail up. A palpable change of mood around Turf Moor.
51 min: Mee had no complaints with the penalty decision, by the way. A defeated shake of the head. But Taylor isn’t so quiet with the referee now; he’s booked for a late clip on Moura, who was skedaddling down the right wing.
GOAL! Burnley 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Alli 50 pen)
No Harry Kane, so it’s Dele Alli who steps up to take. He cracks a fine penalty into the bottom left, and that’s his 50th goal in the Premier League. Well, that didn’t take Spurs long!
Updated
48 min: PENALTY TO SPURS! Here’s a game-changer! Lo Celso slips a ball down the inside-right channel. Mee slides in to poke clear, but Lamela gets there just ahead. Mee’s toe clips Lamela, who goes over, giving the referee one of the easier decisions.
47 min: Wood, chasing a long ball down the left, brushes Sanchez off with great ease. Wood crosses, Spurs clear after a fashion.
Burnley get the second half started. Jose Mourinho has made two changes, hooking Skipp and Ndombele and sending on Moura and Lo Celso. Moura is the only substitute who has scored for Spurs this season.
Half-time entertainment.
HALF TIME: Burnley 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
This scoreline flatters Spurs. Jose Mourinho strides off purposefully, pen and notebook in hand. He’ll have made a few observations, no doubt, and is likely to be raising them in the trenchant style. Burnley, especially Dwight McNeil, have been magnificent.
45 min +1: There will be two added minutes. During the first, McNeil crosses deep from the left. Rodriguez heads down for Bardsley, who attempts to send a spectacular bicycle kick into the top left. It’s high and wide, though not by much.
44 min: Rodriguez whips a ball into the Spurs box from the left. It nearly finds its way to Wood, but Lloris claims just in time. Spurs really could do with hearing the half-time whistle. Mourinho has some thinking to do.
43 min: Alderweireld bundles Hendrick to the floor out on the right touchline. Westwood sends a long diagonal free kick towards Tarkowski at the far post. Tarkowski heads across; Wood can only bundle the ball wide left. The flag would surely have gone up for offside anyway.
41 min: Burnley by contrast are playing some lovely football. Taylor, McNeil and Rodriguez combine well down the left yet again. The move comes to nothing, but the ease with which they’re knocking it around must worry Jose Mourinho. His team are being thoroughly outplayed.
39 min: Another lull. Spurs are so lethargic.
37 min: Bardsley goes down with a muscular problem, but is soon up and about again. Whether we’ll see him in the second half is another issue. Meanwhile Burnley come again. McNeil loops long. Rodriguez heads down for Wood, who tees up Westwood. His shot from the edge of the box flies wide left. Burnley are getting plenty of shooting practice today.
36 min: Alli makes his way down the inside right and looks for Bergwijn or Alderweireld in the box. But the pass goes astray, Burnley clear, and then Alderweireld lets a simple pass clank between his ankles and out for a throw. More sarcasm in hooray form. Spurs have been extremely poor so far.
34 min: Some space for Vertonghen out on the left. As he runs with the ball, he holds his hands out in exasperation, as there are no options for him in the middle. He does extremely well to win a corner, but trudges off furious, nevertheless, gesticulating wildly. The set piece comes to nothing, which won’t help his mood.
32 min: Burnley stroke it around in midfield. Spurs aren’t busting a gut to close them down. The game falls a little flat as a result.
30 min: Spurs finally warm Pope’s hands. Lamela drives down the middle of the park and from 20 yards unleashes a rising shot towards the top right. Pope is behind it all the way. Whether or not it was the right decision to shoot is moot; Vertonghen was tearing alongside him down the inside-left channel, and could have been slipped clear into the box.
28 min: Taylor is allowed to romp all the way down the left. His whipped cross takes a little deflection and nearly tricks Lloris at his near post, but the keeper reads the situation well to react and gather.
26 min: Alli dithers on the ball, allowing Bardsley to make off down the right flank. He slips the ball infield for Hendrick, who has a crack that’s deflected into the path of Rodriguez, free in the box down the inside-right channel. The offside flag rescues Spurs.
25 min: Spurs look extremely nervous and uncertain. Skipp has time on the ball in the centre circle, but there’s nobody ahead making a run, and eventually he’s closed down. The ball breaks to Alderweireld, who shanks straight out of play to sarcastic cheers.
24 min: The first 30 seconds apart, Spurs have done absolutely nothing in attack. They’ve barely spent any time in Burnley’s half.
22 min: Tottenham are all over the shop here. A simple long punt nearly releases Wood, Dier hesitant under the high ball. Wood is eventually forced to turn tail but nearly tees up Rodriguez in the area. Spurs eventually hack clear, but if they keep on like this, Burnley will be adding to their lead sooner rather than later.
21 min: Alderweireld clumsily bundles Rodriguez to the ground, the best part of 30 yards from goal. McNeil goes direct for the top right, but Lloris is behind the free kick all the way and makes a save for the cameras.
19 min: Lamela is booked for an out-of-control slide on the highly effective McNeil. He complains, though you can tell his heart isn’t really in the argument. A fair decision.
17 min: Cork drills a pass down the left for Wood, who is bowled over near the corner flag by Sanchez, but there’s no free kick. In other rules-related news, there was a hint of handball in the build-up to the goal, the ball ricocheting off McNeil’s left arm as he made two attempts to whip a cross past Sanchez. It wasn’t flagged by VAR because it wasn’t the assist, and it might not have been deemed handball in any case, with the player’s arm by his side, and the players in close proximity to each other.
15 min: Burnley have won ten of the 12 Premier League games this season in which they’ve scored first. History continues to deal Spurs blow after blow.
GOAL! Burnley 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur (Wood 13)
It’s fair to say this had been coming, and once again it’s McNeil who instigates all the trouble. He beats Sanchez out on the left and crosses. Dier heads weakly clear. Rodriguez, 20 yards out down the inside-left channel, wallops a low shot straight at Lloris, who finds it too hot to handle. Wood, standing nearby, pokes the rebound into the bottom left. No more than Burnley deserve for an excellent start.
Updated
11 min: McNeil is causing all sorts of bother out on the left. This time his cross is half-cleared by Alderweireld, and ends up at the feet of Cork, who bobbles a shot straight at Lloris.
9 min: ... an almighty scramble in the Spurs box! It’s a good old-fashioned stramash. A comic-book cloud with boots and fists poking out of it. No idea how Burnley don’t force the ball over the line. But Spurs somehow hold out amid a melee that started with Westwood’s deep corner, causing mayhem at the far post. Westwood’s already scored directly from a corner at Liverpool and Southampton, and he nearly did so again.
8 min: Taylor and McNeil are having the run of this left flank. They combine again, the latter fizzing a cross along the byline, forcing Dier to poke out of play. And from the corner ...
6 min: McNeil rolls a pass down the touchline on the left to release Taylor, who has time to size up the scene. He crosses for Wood, but Alderweireld manages to half clear. Burnley recycle possession, McNeil whipping another cross in from the same flank. Dier chests down without much control. The ball breaks to Wood, who whistles a fierce drive inches over the bar from the edge of the box. That would have been some goal.
4 min: An early goal would have given Spurs some much-needed succour. In the ten games where both Harry Kane and Son Heung-min have been missing, they’ve lost eight and drawn one. It doesn’t augur well.
2 min: In fact the ball rolled an inch behind Lamela. Or Lamela over-ran it, whichever you prefer. Either way, Spurs really should be a goal up. Burnley were uncharacteristically opened up with great ease.
And we’re off! Spurs get the ball rolling. They’ll be hoping to put an end to their four-game losing streak, and they should be ahead within 30 seconds! Lamela, Bergwijn and Alli make their presence felt down the right. The ball rolls across towards Lamela on the penalty spot, but somehow continues rolling under his foot when it was surely easier to score!
The teams are out! Turf Moor erupts as the hosts, draped in their famous claret and blue, take to the field. Spurs sport their equally storied lilywhite. With both teams in their first-choice duds, this is an aesthetic delight. Here’s hoping there’s football to match. We’ll be off in a minute!
Jose Mourinho, channelling the great Art Blakey, bangs the same drum very loudly. “The feelings of the players are very important. We have an important game today, but we have another important game on Tuesday and we had two hours of football two days ago that pushed many of my players to run more thank 50 kilometres. We have to make decisions that are good for the team and the players. That is why Lucas and Lo Celso and Winks are not playing, because they are not in the best condition, and we hope they can be in the best condition on Tuesday. The players are ready to work and give everything; the point is to give them a good chance to play at a high level. I look to Leipzig today, they had Timo Werner on the bench, and are not in the situation like we are, they have six or seven attacking players. So for us it is more difficult than for others. I am not going to speak again because people are tired of listening to me.”
Sky have a pre-match word with Sean Dyche. “We’ve had a few blips but come out of that strong. It certainly would be a marker to go above a club like Spurs, but you’ve got to earn the right. The whistle hasn’t gone yet, so we’ll see. We weren’t a million miles off when we didn’t win, but we had some big moments against Leicester, and a really good performance at Manchester United, and that inner belief grew. Our performances have been strong and consistent. We’re going to have to raise our game today.”
The 3pm kick-offs have finished. Wins for Arsenal and Crystal Palace have pushed Burnley into the bottom half; they can move up to eighth with a win this evening. Spurs have been nudged down to eighth as a result of Sheffield United’s victory; they’ll leapfrog Wolves into fifth if they get the three points on offer tonight. Mind you, if they lose by four clear goals, no prizes for guessing who’d leapfrog them on goal difference. Their old north London pals Arsenal. So plenty at stake at Turf Moor.
Burnley make just one change to the XI selected last weekend at Newcastle. Chris Wood replaces Matej Vydra up front.
Spurs make five changes to the team that crashed out of the FA Cup at home to Norwich. Hugo Lloris, Toby Alderweireld, Japhet Tanganga, Tanguy Ndombele and Erik Lamela replace Michel Vorm, Serge Aurier, Harry Winks, Giovani Lo Celso and Lucas Moura.
The teams
Burnley: Pope, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Hendrick, Cork, Westwood, McNeil, Wood, Rodriguez.
Subs: Brownhill, Brady, Hart, Pieters, Lennon, Vydra, Long.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Tanganga, Vertonghen, Skipp, Dier, Ndombele, Bergwijn, Alli, Lamela.
Subs: Winks, Lo Celso, Sessegnon, Gazzaniga, Aurier, Lucas Moura, Fernandes.
Referee: Jonathan Moss (County Durham).
Preamble
To think Burnley (last title 1960) were in a spot of relegation bother not so long ago. But we never should have doubted Sean Dyche’s side. Four wins and two draws in their last six matches have seen the Clarets catapult up the table, and now they’re bothering the European spots instead. It’s been a fantastic run of form.
By contrast, Tottenham Hotspur (last title 1961) are in a bit of a state. A three-game winning burst at the start of February, against Manchester City, Southampton and Aston Villa, slightly flattered Jose Mourinho’s injury-hit side. Now they’ve lost four games on the bounce, if we count the midweek penalty shoot-out loss to Norwich City in the cup, which we surely must. The team haven’t looked at all confident going forward lately, unless you factor in Eric Dier’s determined stand sortie the other night. European football next season is far from a pipe dream, but they’ll need to arrest the slide, and quick.
Should Burnley win this, they’ll leapfrog Spurs in the race for Europe, and pressure really will be ratcheted up on Po’ Mou. Alternatively, an away win would raise a few much-needed smiles in the Spurs camp, geeing up the troops ahead of the visit to Leipzig next week. Back-to-back wins would really change the mood music.
Both teams will look to recent history for succour: Spurs lost here last season, but won at Turf Moor the two seasons before that. And they trounced Burnley 5-0 in N17 back in December. So this is delicately poised, and with both teams hoping for a statement victory, could be a cracker. It’s on!
Kick off: 5.30pm GMT.
