There are 3 London derbies to talk about today, 2 Premier London Derbies (PLDs) and one in the Barclays F.A. Women’s Super League (WSL).
First Watford 0 v Tottenham Hotspur 0 (played Saturday 18 January 2020 at Vicarage Road, attendance 21,366). In a lack-lustre match Watford’s winning run was halted, and Spurs ended their run of 100 plus games in all competitions without a goal-less draw. The goal-line was the focus of attention. First the visitors’ ‘keeper Paulo Gazzaniga kept the Hornets’ Captain Troy Deeney’s penalty from crossing it. Then Erik Lamela’s late shot was judged not to have crossed it by 10.04 millimetres, having been kept out by Watford’s new buy Ignacio Pussetto. Pussetto came to Watford from the Italian club Udinese, the clubs being owned by father and son. Presumably the English F.A. and E.U.F.A. have rules and regulations about such transactions, particularly about player valuations? Unlike V.A.R. there seems little controversy about goal-line-technology. However the pictures we see are a 2 dimensional representation of a 3 dimensional event, the football being a sphere and not a circular disc. In theory the ball could ground behind the line (is it a goal?) but the edge (circumference) not have fully crossed the goal-line. Presumably in this match Pussetto kicked the ball away before it grounded across the line.
The second PLDs match was Chelsea 2 v Arsenal 2 (played Tuesday 22 January 2020 at Stamford Bridge, attendance 40,577). It was a game which Chelsea should have won, but did not, as Arsenal twice raised their game to equliaze playing with 10 men. The 11th? Well David Luiz, back at the Bridge for the first time in a red shirt, did not stay for long, performing his favourite party piece on 26 minutes taking Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham down from behind in the penalty area for a red card and a penalty. Jorginho comfortably scored. The 10 man Gunners regrouped, held out for the first half and then equalized spectacularly in the 63rd minute through Gabriel Martinelli who had the legs to run from his penalty area to the opposition’s to score. He becomes the first Arsenal teenager to score 10 goals in a season since Nicolas Anelka. Then it was the turn of the Captains, both playing at right back. First Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta scored on 84 minutes from close range, then Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin’s left foot shot from the 18 yard box angle went in on 87 minutes. One point won for Arsenal and two lost for Chelsea.
Three days earlier on 19 January 2020 Arsenal Women had entertained Chelsea Women in the W.S.L. and lost 1-4, with all the Chelsea goals coming in the first 20 minutes, one by their new expensive Australian International Sam Kerr. The defeat meant Arsenal, last season’s Champions lost top spot to Manchester City Women. Sounds familiar? Is money beginning to count in the W.S.L. already?
Until next time, enjoy your football, Andrew at PLDs.