Showing posts with label Gallas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gallas. Show all posts
Tottenham assumed second place in the Premier League table after a convincing 3-0 win over 10-man Bolton at White Hart Lane.
It took Gareth Bale just seven minutes to put the hosts in front, exploiting sloppy marking with a cool finish, before Gary Cahill was harshly shown a straight red card for a challenge on Scott Parker.
A barrage of pressure and chances ensued from the rampant home side scored through Aaron Lennon and Jermain Defoe in a second half blitz to secure the three points which lift Harry Redknapp's side above Manchester United into second place.
An injury to Ledley King meant William Gallas was handed his first Premier League start of the season and Defoe was again preferred to Rafael van der Vaart as Tottenham looked to stretch their unbeaten run to 11 matches, while Bolton made one change to the team that lost 2-0 to Everton, with Dedryck Boyata coming in for the suspended David Wheater in defence.
Gary Speed had a three-and-a-half year spell at Bolton, and a minute's applause preceded kick-off in tribute to the Welshman, and within seven minutes Bale made a tribute to his former Wales boss after opening the scoring.
Bale stole in at the near post to stab home from Luca Modric's corner in clinical fashion after slack marking from Bolton enabled him to net his sixth goal of the season and fifth in four league games, before whipping off a red boot and holding it aloft.
Spurs continued to control the possession, but it was Stuart Attwell's decision to send off Cahill in the 18th minute which effectively invited the rout. Zat Knight put his defensive partner under undue pressure with a poor pass before the Tottenham target carved down Parker just inside the Bolton half and was dismissed on the dubious grounds of being the last man.
What followed was a near relentless stream of Spurs pressure as Jussi Jaaskelainen was forced to make a string of stunning saves. One such stop saw the inspired Finn deny Defoe with his legs in the 24th minute as the forward raced into the box and latched on to Aaron Lennon's pinpoint cross.
Seconds later at the other end, Brad Friedel had to effectively wake himself up to backtrack hastily and tip Chris Eagles's shot over the bar after the ball took a vicious deflection off Younes Kaboul.
Owen Coyle was forced to introduced Gretar Steinsson on the half hour mark at the expense of Fabrice Muamba in a tactical reshuffle, with Bolton's defensive ranks in desperate need of bolstering.
A flurry of clear-cut chances followed, with Bale driving a wild shot over the bar from close range, and Jaaskelainen making a superb double save to deny the Welshman and Defoe seconds later as the hosts continued to press forward incessantly.
Finally, the second goal arrived just five minutes after the restart as Kyle Walker, Emmanuel Adebayor and Defoe all combined to good effect before Lennon shuffled inside from the right with exquisite footwork before crashing an emphatic finish beyond Jaaskelainen into the far corner of the net.
It was Tottenham's turn to feel aggrieved in the 56th minute as Benoit Assou-Ekotto zipped down the left, cut inside and was clumsily tripped inside the Bolton box by Kevin Davies, but referee Attwell again defied expected decision and awarded a corner to the disbelief of the home fans.
But the feeling of discontent did not last for long as Defoe marked the hour with a cool finish after more diabolical marking from a set piece cost Bolton dearly as the forward was afforded a simple goal from a corner.
Jaaskelainen further distinguished himself late on with fine saves from Bale and Parker as the Bolton goalkeeper spared his side the ignominy of a real thrashing, while the woodwork came to the visitors rescue when the Finn was eventually beaten Defoe as drove a low shot against the near post.
Spurs have now won six consecutive Premier League games for the first time in the club's history while leapfrogging United into second place in the table, albeit with the champions facing Aston Villa in the late kick-off, while Coyle was left to bemoan a poor refereeing decision and his side's frailties at the back after another chastening defeat.
Tottenham Hotspur pulled off an incredible comeback to win 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium and claim their first Premier League victory at Arsenal since 1993.
Arsenal led 2-0 at half-time thanks to goals from Samir Nasri and Marouane Chamakh, but Spurs levelled it up through a fine Gareth Bale finish and a Rafael van der Vaart penalty.
Younes Kaboul scored a late glancing header to complete an astonishing turnaround and silence the Emirates.
Tottenham came into the game without an away win against the 'Big Four' in a staggering 68 attempts. And it looked like that run would continue as the Gunners eased into a commanding position.
There was a suitably combative start. After Nasri refused to shake his former colleague William Gallas's hand in the pre-match formalities, the Arsenal man was released in the first minute, only to be dispossessed by a muscular Gallas challenge.
The pair apparently did not speak during Gallas's final season at the club, when he was relieved of the club captaincy, and the defender inadvertently caught his rival in the face with a flailing arm in the act of winning the ball.
But Tottenham's optimism soon turned into a familiar sinking feeling as Arsenal seized control of the game and the visitors went behind to an eminently avoidable goal.
Heurelho Gomes had already flapped at once cross when Cesc Fabregas sent Nasri through the middle with a fine, raking pass.
Nasri's first touch was heavy and Gomes appeared to have the situation under control as he slid out to claim the ball - but his challenge was limp, the ball squirted free and Nasri finished from an outrageous angle, rolling the ball in deftly from the left.
Arsenal grew in confidence, and exploited a Tottenham side missing a designated defensive midfielder with some slick passing.
One particularly excellent move was started and finished by Fabregas, as Arsenal worked the ball from left to right and back again, before the Arsenal skipper dragged his shot wide.
It was two on 27 minutes as the home side launched a magnificent counter-attack that culminated in Andrei Arshavin crossing low from the left and Chamakh touching the ball neatly past Gomes from eight yards.
Tottenham eventually grabbed a foothold in the game, even though Bale found his space restricted and Van der Vaart cut a frustrated, unhappy figure.
The Dutchman had a couple of long-range sighters while Luka Modric shot straight at Lukasz Fabianski, and a succession of corners came to nothing.
Jermain Defoe, returning from an ankle injury, replaced Aaron Lennon at half-time and Spurs attacked with a narrower formation as Van der Vaart cut inside from the right.
Within five minutes the move paid off as Defoe surprisingly won a header in midfield. It fell for Van der Vaart, who chested down and played in Bale, who steered a delightful finish past Fabianski into the left corner.
Arsenal continued to dominate possession, but they failed to test Gomes, and were made to pay following an inexplicable act of stupidity from Fabregas on 67 minutes.
Van der Vaart hit a free-kick towards the wall, and the Arsenal captain raised his arm to stop the ball. A blatant and unnecessary handball, and a penalty.
The Dutchman stepped up and sent the ball into the left corner as Fabianski dived the other way.
Arsene Wenger responded by replacing Chamakh with Robin van Persie, and his team soon had the ball in the net through Sebastien Squillaci, though it was rightly chalked off for offside.
Fabregas volleyed over from the edge of the box, and finally worked Gomes with a curling 20-yarder that looked destined for the right corner before the keeper tipped it athletically behind.
Laurent Koscielny was then guilty of a terrible miss, sending a free header over from six yards after a Van Persie cross.
And Kaboul made the Gunners pay, with Van der Vaart again the creator. His curling free-kick from the right was glanced on by the Frenchman, and it nestled in the left corner of the net past Fabianski's desperate dive.
