Tottenham Hotspur (0) 0 v 3 (0) Chelsea
49 Thiago Silva, assist Marco Alonso
57 N’Golo Kante, assist Mateo Kovacic
90+2 Antonio Rudiger, assist Timo Werner.
Yellows by Referee Paul Tierney: Timo Werner
Played Sunday 19 September 2021 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, attendance 60,059.
It may be generous to say this was a game of two halves but if Tottenham Hotspur matched Chelsea in the first they did not in the second. They were out-thought at half-time by the substitution of N’Golo Kante for Mason Mount, the only Englishman in their starting XI, out-paced and out-muscled in the second losing every one-to-one duel. Only Captain Hugo Llorissaved them from an embarrassing drubbing.
This game was not a tribute to the great Jimmy Greaves whose death at age 81 years was announced on matchday morning. What could be for a player who scored 422 goals in 602 senior league and cup appearances? His 132 in 169 games for Chelsea started with the equalizer in this very fixture on 24 August 1957 beating 4 defenders including his future Captain Danny Blanchflower who described it as the best goal he had ever seen. At under 21 Greaves was the youngest player to score 100 topflight goals. His 266 for Spurs in 379 games is a Club record, and although that and his 44 for England may be passed by another Spurs’ striker his International 1 goal every 1.3 games average ratio may never be beaten.
I was privileged to see just a fraction of his goals but my favourite memory is watching him nut-meg a burly defender who thought he had him trapped on the by-line only to see Greaves step off the pitch to get past as the onlooking Referee laughed and waved play on! Comparison with other English forwards past or present is meaningless. Jimmy Greaves was peerless and his contribution to English football unique.
He would have relished the upcoming North London derby of Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 26 September 2021 which is our next Premier London Derbies (PLDs) match. Spurs have lost 2 and drawn 3 of the last 5 there and Arsenal are resurgent. An away point would be very welcome!
Until next time, “Keep Safe” and enjoy your football, Andrew at PLDs.