Tottenham Hotspur 3 v West Ham United 3
1 Son (assist Kane) 82 Balbuena
8 Kane (assist Son) 85 Sanchez (og)
16 Kane (assist Reguilon) 90+4 Lanzini
Yellows: nil Antonio, Soucek, Masuaku
Played Sunday 18 October 2020 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, attendance nil.
This all action Premier London derbies (PLDs) match was not so much a game of two halves as one of 28 minutes and 28 yards! For the first 16 minutes Spurs looked unstoppable with Harry Kane releasing Heung-Min Son in the first minute to score, before adding 2 more himself first turning on the edge of the box to shoot, then meeting an accurate cross from Sergio Reguilon at the far post to head home. The Hammers did not collapse though but would have been sunk had Kane’s second half shot not hit the wrong side of their post after 60 minutes or so of more evenly contested football.
West Ham United’s 12 minutes of glory started in the 82nd minute when Fabian Balbuena headed in Aaron Cresswell’s accurate free kick. The most spectacular recovery on the F.A. Premier League’s (FAPL) history to date was on when Spurs’ Davinson Sanchez put a clearance header over his own line! Gareth Bale, who had made his second North London debut earlier, then shot wide in added time which would probably have been enough for a home win. But the final drama belonged to the visitors and Manuel Lanzini whose once in a season, if not a playing lifetime, 63 m.p.h. shot flew into the home team’s net, from 28 yards of course! It was the final kick of the match 12 minutes after this remarkable comeback began. No wonder Hammer’s Manager David Moyes’ celebration looked like he might be auditioning for “Strictly” rather than returning from Covid-19! Was it a classic Spurs’ capitulation or a Hammers’ triumph?
The next PLDs match is at Craven Cottage where Fulham will entertain Crystal Palace on Saturday 24 October. This fixture was last played at Selhurst Park on 2 February 2019 with a 2-0 home win. The Eagles have made the better start to this season but the Cottagers have signed new players and gained some confidence from a good point away to Sheffield United last weekend. The betting implies a close encounter, with Paddy Power currently giving odds of Fulham to win at 13/8 versus Crystal Palace to win at 9/5. We shall see.
Until next time, remember “Hands, Face, Space”, and keep safe, Andrew at PLDs.