Tottenham Hotspur 2 (2) v Arsenal 0 (0)
13 Son, assist Kane
45+1 Kane, assist Son
Yellows: Lo Celso Xhaka, Lacazette
Played Sunday 6 December at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, attendance 2,000.
Despite having only 31% possession, and 3 shots on goal, Tottenham Hotspur scored twice to regain top spot from fellow Premier London derbies (PLDs) Club Chelsea, and push their north London rivals Arsenal down into 15th place in the F.A. Premier League (FAPL) on 13 points from 11 matches. The only potential grumble for the lucky 2,000 Spurs’ fans in the South stand was that both goals and 72% of the second half action were in the North end of the ground! Their killers were the deadly striking duo of Heung-Min Son and Harry Kanewho assisted Son for the first goal on 13 minutes, then Son returned the compliment. Kane’s lightening counter-attack strike in first half added time was his eleventh north London derby goal, putting him one ahead of Spurs’ Bobby Smith and Emanuel Adebayor who scored 8 for the Gunners in this fixture and then 2 for Spurs. For Harry Kane this was also his 250th goal for Club(s) and Country in 420 matches, and his 100th Spurs home goal in 148 matches!
Together Son and Kane have scored and assisted one another for 31 FAPL goals. Ahead of them on 36 are only Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard for Chelsea. Is it a coincidence that the Head Coach of both pairs is/was Jose Mourinho? Mourinho himself is unbeaten in 10 home PLDs matches first with the Blues and now Spurs against the Gunners. He has only lost 8 of his 63 PLDs matches: 2 with Tottenham Hotspur against Chelsea last season; and when at Chelsea 2 away to Spurs, 2 against Crystal Palace (home and away), and 1 each away to Fulham and West Ham United. Some record!
Enough of records. Next up for PLDs matches Crystal Palace, fresh from a 1-5 away win at West Bromwich Albion with a brace each for Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke, entertain Tottenham Hotspur. Scoring has been low in this fixture with previous seasons’ form favouring the visitors: 0-1 in 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19; and 1-1 in the extended 2019-20 season. Betting favours……. But we shall see.
Finally there was a London derby in the Women’s Super League (WSL) last weekend where Chelsea Women beat West Ham United Women 3-2 to be in 3rd place in that league.
Until next time, remember “Hands, Face, Space” and keep safe, Andrew at PLDs.