Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal preview

Spurs and Arsenal meet at White Hart Lane in the north London derby with Spurs in the ascendency and for the first time in decades, looking to forge ahead of their closest rivals.  Will Arsenal put their earlier poor performances behind them or will Spurs maintain the momentum gained from three consecutive Premier League wins?

Tottenham Continue to Play Catch-up.

This afternoon Tottenham continue this season's game of catch-up as they try to overcome near neighbours, Arsenal, at White Hart Lane.  Having a game in hand due to the riots in Tottenham in August and with Thursday evening Europa League games, come Saturday evening Spurs find themselves two games behind the teams around them in the League table.  As the teams above them continue to win, Spurs find themselves under an added pressure to win and take three points to once again close that gap.  They have managed it so far and will be hoping to add to Arsenal's miserable start to the season with another success over their greatest rivals.

Arsenal have had their worse start to a season since 1953, a year when they won 4 - 1 at White Hart Lane in October but lost 0 - 3 at Highbury the following February.  George Robb scored Spurs' only goal in the home defeat but scored twice in the return fixture with Sonny Walters getting the other goal.  That season Spurs finishes 16th in the twenty two team Division 1 while Arsenal managed 12th.  Arsenal have shown slight improvement in recent weeks with three successive home victories in league and Cup matches but none of the performances have been convincing.  They defeated Shrewsbury in the Carling Cup, defeated a poor Bolton Wanderers team 3 - 0 last weekend and had a 2 - 1 success in the Champions League over Olympiakos of Greece.

Tottenham have won three Premier League games since losing heavily to United and City in their first two league games.  With players returning to fitness, Harry Redknapp, will have to make decisions on team formation and personnel for this important game.  It's the first time in Premier League history that Spurs go into a north London derby as favourites.  Aaron Lennon, Sandro, Rafael Van der Vaart and Jermain Defoe are all expected to be fit and making a claim for a place in the starting line-up.  Spurs will look to take advantage of Arsenal's defensive frailties, they lost 2 - 8 at Old Trafford, and will want a quick tempo start that worked so well against Liverpool, putting the visitors on the back foot and never allowing them to recover.

For the duration of the Premier League Spurs have found themselves trailing in the wake of a successful Arsenal team.  This season, there is just a slight chink in that aura of invincibility that has surrounded Arsenal under Arsene Wenger so Tottenham have to be prepared to ensure they grab that opportunity with both hands and force home any advantage they can gain.

All eyes will be on Emmanuel Adebayor who used to do so well at White Hart Lane, playing in the red of Arsenal.  Tottenham will be hoping he can perform as he has done in the opening three games of his Spurs career while the Arsenal fans are still sore about him leaving to join Manchester City two years ago and his celebrations when scoring twice against them.  The player will be under immense scrutiny to maintain his cool under provocation but he has seemed very level-headed in interviews since joining Spurs.  He sees himself like any other person who changes his place of employment - he has great memories of his time there but now he works/plays for Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs really should win and need that victory to close the gap on those clubs above them and they really want to put one over on Arsenal who have made them suffer so much for far too long.

Memorable Matches (from a Spurs perspective)
Apr. 1983 (Div. 1) (h) Won 5 - 0  Hughton (2), Brazil, Falco (2)
Nov, 1999 (PL) (h) Won 2 - 1  Iversen, Sherwood  (Arsenal had two men sent off)
Apr. 2010 (PL) (h) Won 2 - 1  Rose, Bale

Spurs were desperate for points to ensure fourth place in the league and reach the Champions League for the first time.  The previous weekend they had lost at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final against Portsmouth.  Danny Rose, on his debut, struck a beautiful shot from a corner that was cleared to him and put Spurs ahead after ten minutes.  Gareth Bale added a second immediately after half-time and although Arsenal pulled one back, Spurs took the three points for the first time in the league since the 1999-2000 season and gained a momentum that took them to Champions league qualification.

Adebayor Scores on his Tottenham Debut

Adebayor - No: 11

Adebayor celebrates his debut goal

In the 67th minute of his debut for Tottenham against Wolves at Molineux, Emmanuel Adebayor collected a through ball from Scott Parker and coolly scored his first goal for his new club.  This set Spurs up for their first Premier League win of the season and made him the eleventh Tottenham player to score on their Premier League debut.

Who else is on that list?

Sol Campbell: (Dec. 1992) In the first season of the Premiership Campbell made his debut as a late substitute against Chelsea at White Hart Lane. His goal was a late consolation in a 2-1 defeat. Campbell went on to captain Spurs to a Worthington Cup success at Wembley against Leicester City in 1999 but he will forever be despised by Spurs fans for the way he left the club in 2001 on a Bosman free to sign for the club's near neighbours and greatest rivals, Arsenal.

Ronnie Rosenthal: (Feb. 1994) Battling against relegation Ossie Ardiles signed Rosenthal to bring some experience to the team which was struggling to score goals. In his debut at home to Sheffield Wednesday Rosenthal scored but it didn't prevent Spurs losing 1-3. the highlight of Rosenthal's career with Spurs was the hat-trick he scored against Southampton in the FA Cup in 1995. Spurs were two down at half-time but Rosenthal came on as a substitute and scored twice to take the game to extra time. He completed his hat-trick (three tremendous goals) to give Spurs an improbable 6-2 victory.

Jurgen Klinsmann: (Aug. 1994) (pictured) Spurs were in deep trouble having been severely punished by the Football Association for financial irregularities. Chairman, Alan Sugar had managed to persuade Klinsmann to join Spurs and his presence gave Spurs an immediate boost and an opening day success against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. Klinsmann scored in a 4-3 victory, introduced his 'dive' celebration and was carried off injured on his debut. Klinsmann formed an exciting goal scoring partnership with teddy Sheringham but unfortunately it didn't produce any silverware for the club and he departed at the end of the season. His later return was not as effective although he scored four vital goals against Wimbledon to save spurs from relegation under Christian Gross.

Dean Richards: (Sept. 2004) Signed from Southampton by Glenn Hoddle, defender Richards scored against Manchester United as Spurs took a three goal lead in the first half. However, that was as good as it got as after half-time United stormed back at White Hart Lane to win 5-3. Richards career at spurs was blighted by injury.

Fredi Kanoute: (Aug. 2003) Signed from West Ham United during the summer he made his debut at home to Leeds United. His substitute appearance in the first home game of the season ensured Spurs' 2-1 victory. A player of great technique, Kanoute's languid style divided supporters but he scored many important goals before his departure to Seville in 2005. After his departure some supporters came to realise what he brought to the team.

Mbulelo Mabizela: (Oct. 2003) Signed by Spurs following their summer tour to South Africa Mabizela made his debut as a late substitute at Leicester City. He scored the winning goal in the 2-1 success but failed to build on that promising start to his Spurs career.

Jermain Defoe: (Feb. 2004) Signed from West Ham United, Defoe was an instant hit scoring early on his debut against Portsmouth at White Hart Lane as Spurs won 4-3. A regular goal scorer he left for Portsmouth in January, 2008 but returned a year later.

Mido: (Feb. 2005) A loan signing Mido made an impressive debut against portsmouth, scoring twice. He became an important member of Martin Jol's team which just missed out on a Champions League place. When his application and effort were right he was good and scored vital goals but he struggled to maintain this endeavour.

Gilberto: (Mar. 2008) A disappointing signing, the Brazilian rarely showed his true ability but scored in a 4-0 victory, having come on as a substitute against West Ham United at White Hart Lane. He had played his first game for Spurs in a UEFA Cup tie against PSV Eindhoven in mid-week but it was his error which had given the visitors the only goal of the game.

Sebastien Bassong: (Aug. 2009)  The opening day of the new season and scored with a header from a corner against Liverpool at White Hart Lane.  This set Tottenham up for a 2 - 1 win and a run that was to be their best start to the season since the famous 'Double' season of 1960 - 61.

Pre-Premier League Goal Scoring Debuts

Many players have scored on their debut prior to the creation of the Premier League. That list of players include many legends:

• Jimmy Greaves (a hat-trick against Blackpool (h))
• Martin Chivers (2 at Sheffield Wednesday)
• Colin Lee (4 in a 9-0 demolition of Bristol Rovers at White Hart Lane in Spurs last season in the old Second Division)
• Richy Villa at Nottingham Forest
• Garth Crooks against Nottingham Forest

Wolves 0 Tottenham 2

Spurs get their season up and running with two second half goals against undefeated Wolves at Molineux, their first win there since the home side's return to the Premier League.  

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Scorers: Adebayor, Defoe

Team: Friedel; Walker, King, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto; Kranjcar, Parker (Livermore), Modric, Bale, Adebayor, Defoe (Dos Santos) Subs (unused): Cudicini, Bassong, Townsend, Falque, Pavlyuchenko

Adebayor - debut goal

Emmanuel Adebayor started his Tottenham career with a debut goal with his striking partner Jermain Defoe getting the second to ensure Tottenham gained their first win of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ledley king made a surprise return to the Spurs' team in place of the injured Michael Dawson, while new signings, Adebayor and Scott Parker made their debuts.  Nico Kranjcar started in place of Aaron Lennon who was injured.  Spurs faced two former players in the Wolves team - Jamie O'Hara and Michael Kightly who replaced the injured Matt Jarvis.

Defoe scored second goal

For an hour the match was competitive and evenly balanced match both teams made mistakes and found themselves caught in possession.  However, once Adebayor put Spurs ahead after a pass from Kranjcar found Parker who poked the ball into the area, the debutant finishing coolly, Spurs' confidence grew and they were in completed control.  Adebayor is the eleventh Tottenham player to score on their debut in the Premier League for the club.  Defoe secured the points when he finished a lovely move following a free-kick, scoring from Kranjcar's pass.

Tottenham now have three points which after the disappointing start to the season, is in one point more than they collected from the games against the same opposition last season.

The positives from this game are that Adebayor and Defoe both scored, Parker made an impression in midfield, Luka Modric played and King was fit enough for the whole game.  The win will lift the confidence of the whole team while a clean sheet is a major bonus for the defence after the previous traumatic games.  On the downside is the question of why Gareth Bale is playing on the right - it nullifies the strength of the team's most dangerous player.

Tottenham's season started here and now they head off to Greece for their Europa League game on Thursday, with Liverpool at White Hart Lane on Sunday week.