The last word goes to Mads Pihl, who is talking actual truth
“Now that everyone will be talking about Kane and All in the buildup to that fourth goal (and rightly so), I guess the presence of Eriksen is looking more and more like that of Iniesta’s at Barcelona in terms of importance for fluidity of play. They are probably two teams at different levels, and Eriksen is not at Iniesta’s level, but for every season that passes the Dane is exerting more of the same kind of consistent brilliance for his team as Iniesta started doing in his mid-early 20s. And yes, I am biased by my nationality. But still.”
Full time: Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 West Brom
Peep peep! Spurs go up to second in the table Harry Kane celebrated the birth of his first child with a hat-trick yet the abiding memory will be of an almost flawless team performance in which they constantly displayed technical excellence at breakneck speed. All right-thinking neutrals should want Spurs to win the Premier League, because they are just so impressive. Thanks for your company; bye.
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90+1 min Son replaces Kane. On reflection, I’m not sure he did mishit that volley for the third goal - the replays suggest he deliberately guided it across Foster, which makes it an even better goal. Alli’s part, almost Bergkamp-like, was the best bit though.
90 min With the exception of a couple of touches from Yacob and McClean, Spurs have had the ball for almost five minutes, a nice bit of ole football to end a very happy day.
85 min Ruthlessness has been an issue for Spurs but they are learning to stuff teams: they have scored four in three of their last four league games, and 24 in their last eight.
84 min “Mine and your favourite disallowed goal is undoubtedly this one,” says Adam Hirst, “due to the import of it.”
That definitely wins best disallowed goal celebration, too. What a bloody perfect game of football that was. Wish somebody would write a book about that rivalry.
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83 min Harry Winks replaces Mousa Dembele for Spurs.
GOAL! Tottenham 4-0 West Brom (Kane 82)
Oh yes yes yes. Harry Kane completes his hat-trick with a goal of spine-tingling brilliance. Kane dummies to shoot 25 yards out and plays a short pass to Alli. He is surrounded by defenders on the edge of the box, so scoops the ball over all of them to allow to Kane to run on and bobble a volley across Foster and into the far corner. He probably mishit the finish but the combination, and especially Alli’s scoop, was magical.
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GOAL! Tottenham 3-0 West Brom (Kane 77)
This is a quietly brilliant goal. McAuley dithers by the corner flag and is robbed by the utterly bloody relentless Walker. He looks up and hits a deliberately fierce pass back towards Kane, hit with enough pace to beat Yacob at the near post. It bounces up awkwardly for Kane, who contorts his body like a piece of Playdoh to hit an acrobatic shot into the net from 15 yards. As Alan Smith says on Sky, he made it look far easier than it was. It wasn’t in the same class, but the way he twisted his body was reminiscent of that great Dimitar Berbatov goal for Spurs at Middlesbrough. Walker’s pass was also terrific: not only did he only have Kane to aim for, but he had to really whack the ball to ensure it would not be intercepted by Yacob.
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75 min West Brom get a set piece on the halfway line. It’s lumped forward and bounces up for Robson-Kanu, who mishits his shot from 17 yards. That, such as it was, was West Brom’s best chance of the match.
73 min West Brom had a bit of an optimistic spurt at the start of the second half, but aside from those 12 seconds five minutes the win has looked safe for Spurs. Their only regrets will be the injury to Vertonghen, which looked serious, and that the scoreline does not better reflect a supreme display of teamwork.
72 min If the FA are in a bad mood on Monday, Walker might get a three-match ban for that kick at McAuley. There was nothing in it really, but technically speaking he kicked him off the ball, and the laws of the game don’t encourage that.
71 min What’s the record for saves made in a Premier League game? Foster can’t be too far away from it. He has just made another and this was one of his better saves, a smart plunge to his right to push away Wanyama’s shot.
70 min Walker has a little kick at McAuley off the ball. McAuley complains and is booked.
69 min On the subject of disallowed goals, Mike Greville has suggested Alec Lindsay’s classic from the 1974 FA Cup final.
68 min A vicious rising drive from Dembele, hit from 25 yards with his right foot, goes just over the bar. Foster had it covered and let it go.
66 min “I won’t be convinced by Spurs,” says Ian Copestake, “until they have been through a title run-in without hurdling an imaginary hurdle and ending up on their belly with their thoroughbred legs splayed fore and aft.”
65 min Ben Davies replaces Vertonghen, who is helped down the tunnel. That, sad to say, might even be the end of his season. It would be a serious blow to Tottenham’s title challenge if so.
64 min Olsson is booked for a sliding foul on Kane. He was the last man but in a wide position and hence it was not a clear goalscoring opportunity.
63 min This looks like a nasty injury to Vertonghen. He stretched to keep a ball in play and landed awkwardly on his ankle. That doesn’t look good. He has his fingers to his eyes, pressing them against the top of his nose, and looks in a lot of pain.
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62 min Another West Brom change: Chadli off, Hal Robson-Ariehaanu on.
60 min Here’s Hugh Molloy. “If there’s one team that can be totally under the cosh for an entire game, go two goals down, but manage to scrape a draw with a late penalty and well worked set piece, it’s West Brom.”
58 min Foster makes his 471st save of the game, plunging to his left to push away Kane’s low curler. It was a relatively comfortable save for a keeper of his class, but still: Spurs are on it once more.
56 min Walker’s scissor kick is blocked by Olsson and goes behind for a corner on the right. Eriksen plays Anderton to Kane’s Sheringham with a near-post cut-back, but Kane mishits his first-time shot. It comes to Alderweireld, whose shot is well saved by Foster, and then to Alderweireld, whose long-range follow-up is equally well saved.
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54 min Alli stretches to control Alderweireld’s long pass and is eased over in the area by Dawson. Spurs wanted a penalty; Anthony Taylor disagreed. I think he made the right decision, though you can see both sides.
54 min A West Brom substitution at left wing-back: Chris Brunt off, James McClean on.
53 min One thing this Spurs team are not is ruthless, and their sluggish start to the second half has been a reminder of that.
52 min “Only Kevin Keegan could have a goal this good disallowed,” says Phil Cowen.
51 min West Brom have been the better team in this half. They’ve switched to a back three, though a half-time hairdryer is the principal reason for their improvement.
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49 min Here, have another great disallowed goal.
48 min West Brom have started this half with much more intent, pressing Spurs high up the pitch and especially at goalkicks.
46 min Peep peep! Spurs begin the second half. If you are watching on television, you’ll need to be able to move your head to the right for the next 45 minutes. Saying which, that’s a good effort from Matt Phillips, who drives a low shot through the legs of Alderweireld and just wide of the post.
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More half-time reading
Half-time chit-chat
“It’s men against boys,” says Alex Ritchie, “and the Spurs boys are stuffing them.”
“Hi Rob,” says Shaun Wilkinson. “Regarding your comment about West Brom having the best defence outside of the big six; surely they have a better defence than at least one of the big six, and possibly two? The naked stats might not say so, but when you think about how much of the ball bigger teams have compared to them...”
(Yes, fair point. I just lazily think in terms of BS and NBS when appraising Premier League teams mid-MBM.)
“Afternoon Rob,” says Steve Finkel. “Best offside goal has to go to this effort from Nani. Ronaldo’s reaction is priceless, entirely justified and probably sums up he feels about Nani.”
“It seems that Spurs’ footballers are the lowest paid of the big six or the current top six. or six,” says Ian Copestake. “This is why you like Spurs so much. They are the underpaid women of football fighting for equal pay with their male equals. Burn your bra, brother Rob.”
Half-time reading
Half time: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 West Brom
That was a masterclass from Spurs, who should have at least doubled their 2-0 lead. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
45 min For West Brom, this half has been like a visit to the museum - they can look at the ball, but they can’t touch it. I’m not sure they have been particularly bad, in truth. Spurs have just been awesome.
43 min I would bloody love Spurs to win the league. They are young, hungry, likeable and so impressive in almost everything they do.
40 min “Alli’s goal should still qualify for ‘Goal of the Month’ though eh?” says Colin Mackay.
With Mkhitaryan as well, it’s surely time for Offside Goal of the Season. Actually, on that subject, what’s the best disallowed goal you’ve ever seen? This is up there.
39 min Evening Rob,” says Phil Withall. “Just to clarify West Brom are eighth in the “Greatest league in the world”. The gap grows ever wider…”
Ah, didn’t you get the memo? It’s not the GLITW any more. It’s “this league”. AND THERE ARE NO EASY GAMES IN THIS LEAGUE.
36 min Jonny Evans is having a helluva game.
35 min Kane zig-zags away from McAuley before belting a superb low drive from 25 yards that Foster tips onto the post at full stretch. This is unreal. Spurs are creating a chance a minute. It’s no exaggeration to say that Kane alone could already have scored five times.
34 min Kane steers Walker’s low cross towards goal and Foster makes another save, this time with his feet. Spurs could have scored six goals already, and this is against probably the best defence outside the Big Six.
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UTTERLY BRILLIANT DISALLOWED GOAL ALERT
30 min Oh you utter swine of an assistant referee. Dele Alli has had a glorious and unique goal disallowed for offside. He came infield from the left and played the ball to Eriksen, who dinked it back over the top. Alli kept running and deliberately twisted his foot to volley it daintily past Foster with - and I’m not sure which it was - either his ankle or the outside of the foot. He had both feet off the floor as he did so, and all that was missing was a heel-click before he landed. A beautiful moment was ruined when everybody realised the flag was up. It was the correct decision but, morally speaking, was it the right one? Eh?
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GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 West Brom (Eriksen 26)
West Brom are being absolutely battered here. Walker and Rose combine on the right (what was Rose doing there?) before Eriksen’s 20-yard shot takes a double deflection off Olsson and then McAuley before dribbling past the wrongfooted Foster. Sky have given it as a McAuley own goal, but Eriksen’s original shot was on target so I think he should get it. That said, it was going wide off Olsson before it hit McAuley. I can see both sides!
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25 min Kane should have made it 2-0. When the corner was partially cleared, Wanyama curled a flat cross into the six-yard box from just outside the area on the right. Kane threw himself towards it and his diving header hit the plunging Foster, who grabbed it at the second attempt.
24 min The backpedalling Kane does well to manufacture a volley from Rose’s very deep cross. It hits Brunt and spins behind for a corner. Spurs, and particularly their jet-heeled wing-backs, are just bloody relentless.
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23 min “Hey Rob,” says JR in Illinois. “By my research the last time the Baggies finished a top-flight season with a positive goal difference was in ‘82-’83. They were +4 going into this game. Something to shoot for after the disappointing early FA Cup exit. It would be a massive achievement. I’m not a big Pulis guy and that situation with Palace really does not reflect well on him but the man can manage a football team. I know one of the last things I’d ever want to see was a naked, angry Pulis heading toward me in the shower. That’s the stuff nightmares are made of. As for this game, Spurs are too good. I think we’re toast.”
That positive goal difference might be toast as well by the time this game is over.
21 min Lloris makes a great point-blank save from Rondon, though it wouldn’t have counted: Olsson was rightly given offside earlier in the move.
20 min Dembele backheels to Eriksen, who lifts an inviting deep cross towards Alli, just like he did against Chelsea. This time West Brom do the defensive necessary.
18 min “What colour kit are West Brom playing in?” asks Daniel Friedman. I’d probably describe them as new, fresh colours with a black base and bright cyan detailing. The focal feature of the new design is the tight bright cyan pin stripes on the front of the jersey, a colour scheme which continues into the iconic adidas three stripe branding, collar tipping detail and through into the shorts.
15 min Sometimes, goals don’t change games. This has followed exactly the same pattern as at 0-0. When Spurs play like this, I’m not sure there’s a better team in the country. They have such an impressive controlled purpose to everything they do.
GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 West Brom (Kane 12)
There was an inevitability about this goal. Spurs have been quite brilliant and now they are ahead. Eriksen, found by Wanyama just outside the box, played a short disguised pass to Kane just inside the box. He took a touch and finished emphatically, scooping a shot over Foster and in off the near post. That’s a fine goal.
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11 min It’s a while since we’ve said this, but in the next few years England might build their team around Spurs: Rose, Walker, Dier, Alli, Kane, and with some good youth prospects as well.
10 min “Danny Rose is a fine player but he really needs to grow up and stop diving and injury faking,” says Roy Allen. “Surely with his thespian tendencies he should be known as ‘Broadway’?”
Arf, very good. But that one with Chadli wasn’t dive, was it? It looked like he caught him in the eye.
8 min Kane takes Rose’s pass on the run and lashes a rising shot over the bar from 20 yards. Pretty much all the action is taking place in the West Brom half. They haven’t parked the bus; Spurs have parked it for them.
6 min This has been a superb start from Spurs, who look so confident and grooved that they can almost produce excellence on auto-pilot.
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4 min Kane almost gives Spurs the lead. Rose put in a fast curling cross from the left towards Kane, who lost McAuley ten yards from goal and stretched to stab an instinctive volley fractionally wide of the far post. That was a brilliant cross from Rose, who has developed into a brilliant wing-back.
2 min Chadli tries to hold Rose off and catches him in the face. Rose goes down, which is fair enough as he was caught, but equally there was no intent or recklessness from Chadli. Play on!
1 min West Brom kick off from left to right. Kane immediately presses the ball and is almost flattened off the ball by Yacob. After two seconds of the match! Yacob, of course, was involved with Dele Alli in this fixture last year.
There’s a minute’s applause for Graham Taylor before the match. Death is an inescapable part of life, especially these days, but that hit harder than most. There have been so many lovely tributes to one of humanity’s better creations; John Murray’s on the BBC might be the best.
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In case you missed it, there was a really superb interview with Darren Fletcher in the Mail yesterday. You should read it.
An email
“Janssen not on the bench?” asks Cian O’Mahony.
Nope!
Team news
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-2-1) Lloris; Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen; Walker, Wanyama, Dembele, Rose; Eriksen, Dele; Kane.
Substitutes: Vorm, Trippier, Davies, Nkoudou, Sissoko, Winks, Son.
West Brom (4-2-3-1) Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Brunt; Fletcher, Yacob; Chadli, Morrison, Phillips; Rondon.
Substitutes: Myhill, Galloway, Leko, McClean, Field, Robson-Kanu, Wilson.
Referee Anthony Taylor.
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Preamble
Hello. Tottenham Hotspur have misunderstood the phrase “New Year’s resolution”. They haven’t given up booze or fags or foie gras. Instead, with the aid of the fixture computer, they have started 2017 by putting to bed the bad memories of last season’s title challenge. First they exorcised Chelsea by beating them last week; now it’s time for West Brom, whose 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane all but gave the title to Leicester.
Not that it will be easy. West Brom are as hard to break down as an old-school ganglord in a goddamn HBO drama. They have made significant improvements in attack this season, too, and they have a fine recent record against Spurs. But if Spurs win today it will move them to within four points of crisis club Chelsea. After a distracted start to the season, Spurs are back to their admirable best and, at odds of 12/1, look offensively good value to win the league.
To achieve that, they need to turn a few draws into wins. Their last three matches against West Brom have ended 1-1, so victory today would be a good place to start.
Kick off is at 12.30pm.
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Rob will be here soon enough. Until then, read David Hytner’s piece on how Dele Alli has discovered a new-found maturity, that’s slowly rubbing off on the Spurs squad:
Dele Alli provided the wrong sort of punch when Tottenham Hotspur last faced West Bromwich Albion at White Hart Lane. In what was a pivotal Premier League encounter, the midfielder aimed an off-the-ball dig at Claudio Yacob, which earned him a retrospective ban for the final three matches of last season. It was a moment of hot-headedness on a night when Tottenham’s title challenge was seriously dented by the 1-1 draw.
On the eve of the rematch in north London, Alli was described by Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham manager, as a “killer”. It was for all the right reasons. Alli has brought a spark inside the penalty area in recent weeks and his return of seven goals from four league games has granted him man‑of‑the-moment status. “We’re talking a lot about Dele but it’s fair because he’s showing fantastic performances,” Pochettino said.
Read more here:
