There is little doubt that West Ham United London will do the same, as this is usually their cup final and with them currently witting in 17th place in the table, they will be looking to turn things around, with many of their players having a rest over the last two weeks because of the international break.  The Irons need all the rest they can get, as their injury list is long and fairly static, but a few might make it out of the sick bay to play against Spurs.  The only problem they might have is that if not fully fit now, it might affect the rest of their campaign if they suffer set-backs.

Goalkeeper Adrian has proved more fallible than last season when he earned the Irons a lot of points, but the defence in front of him hasn't helped.  There has been a constant change of personnel in front of him, but with Tomkins leaving for Palace and the recruitment lacking sufficient quality, there are holes in the defence to be exploited.  Aaron Cresswell got into the England squad and then when he came on in place of Danny Rose against Spain in midweek, both goals came down his side.  Winston Reid's return to middle of the defence might help, but Collins and Ogbonna do not inspire great confidence and with a lot of areas of their team mis-firing, the defence has not been solid enough to keep the goals out. 

Dmitri Payet had been their key man last season, but after a very good Euros, he has been less than influential, albeit their best playmaker, but rumours of a move away have not inspired confidence that he will be there after after January, with PSG sniffing around.  The players brought in during the summer indicated that the unholy trinity of Gold/Sullivan/Brady looked at quantity rather than quality.  Moving to their free stadium, you would have thought that there was the money to invest in the playing side of the club, but names such as Nordveit, Feghouli, Masuaku, Ashley Fletcher and Arbeloa do not hint at the ambition of the club to buy players at the top of their game ... or if they are, then their game is not at Premier League level.

With Andy Carroll out injured (for a change), their attack lacks a focus and Sakho might be back to face Spurs, but Simone Zazu has shown why Tottenham didn't pursue their interest in him, while West Ham chased anyone linked with us.  A few more games and they will have to pay 20 million Euros for him.  At the moment, they would be better not playing him.  With another loan striker who Spurs were after - Jonathan Calleri - not in favour, summer signing Andre Ayew, who is just back form injury, will be up front for them.

The current dire situation they find themselves in points to Spurs winning this game, but as we know from the past, the form book firmly goes out of the window and with both clubs needing wins for differing reasons, it will be nip and tuck, but with our own current difficulty in scoring, it will not be a high scoring game, but it is one that Spurs can get three points from if they move the ball quickly and heap pressure on the visitors goal.
 

TV
BT Sport 1/1HD - (live coverage)
Sky Sports 1 -  Game of the Day -  Saturday 20.00
Match of the Day  (BBC 1) - Saturday 22.20 - 23.50 (highlights)   [repeated at 07:40 Sunday]  Also available online.
Goals on Saturday (Sky Sports 1) - Sunday 10.30 (repeated at 21.00)
Match of the Day 2  (BBC 1) - Sunday 22.25 (highlights)  Also available online.

For coverage in all parts of the world, check here and here.

Radio :  
BBC LONDON 94.9FM (London area only), Digital Radio (London area only) &  Sky Channel 0152  (live coverage)
Commentary may be found on
>   BBC Radio Five Live (live coverage)  606/939 MW
>  TalkSport (DAB or 2nd89 MW)
>  Absolute Radio  (1215 AM/MW)

If available on BBC radio, it can supposedly be heard in these countries on these stations ...
Australia (Melbourne) SEN  -  116 AM  Live Transmissions: TWI, Saturday. 12.45 & 15.00 matches
Australia (Sydney)  Radio 2  -  1611AM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 12.45 Match
Singapore Media Corp Radio  -  93.8 FM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
South Africa  SABC (Radio 2000)  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
Uganda  Radio 1 (English) 90.0 FM, Radio 2 (Lugandan) 87.9 FM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
North America (USA, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean)  Sirius Satellite Radio  Live transmission: Saturday - 12.45, 15.00 (TWI) & 17.15 (BBC) Saturday - 14.00 & 16.05 (BBC) Mon, Tue, Wed - Various times (BBC)

Internet :
www.spurs.co.uk   Live webcast  - subscribers only
BBC London - http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/2nd/12/live_commentaries_feature.shtml click on link to "Listen to Tottenham Hotspur live commentary" on top right hand menu.

  2  Kyle WALKER       (16  Kieran TRIPPIER  89)
  5  Jan VERTONGHEN
15  Eric DIER
  3  Danny ROSE     

12  Victor WANYAMA
29  Harry WINKS 
19  Mousa DEMBELE       (  7  Heung-Min SON  72)

23  Christian ERIKSEN
10  Harry KANE   
  9  Vincent JANSSEN  (20  DELE Alli  68)
 

Unused subs: 
13  Michel VORM
27  Kevin WIMMER
38  Cameron CARTER-VICKERS
25  Josh ONOMAH
 

21  Angelo OGBONNA
  2  Winston REID               
  8  Cheik KOUYATE

30  Michail ANTONIO       
14  Pedro OBIANG
10  Manuel LANZINI  (p)     
  3  Aaron CRESSWELL

27  Dmitri PAYET  (  4  Harvard NORDTVEIT  85)
20  Andre AYEW  (31  Edmilson FERNANDES 61)

15  Diafra SAKHO  (11  Simone ZAZA 61)

Unused subs: 
13  ADRIAN
19  James COLLINS
  7  Sofiane FEGHOULI
24  Ashley FLETCHER
 

With relegation haunted West Ham United London visiting White Hart Lane, the cheery East Londoners made for a bubbly atmosphere for this London derby, but in the end the popping of their dreams happened all over again, despite their noisy taunting of the home fans.  A 3-2 win with the winning goal coming from the penalty spot in added time doesn't make a day out any better as things from from bad to worse for the Irons, who had lead 2-1 with five minutes remaining of normal time.

Thanks to Transport for London and Abellio Anglia, the only trains going near the ground stopped at White Hart Lane and as I stepped out of the station, I stepped straight into the 1980s.  I could hear moronic chanting (not unusual at a football match), but as I got near the High Road, it became clear that it was coming from the hooded, capped and scarves around their faces West Ham people surrounded by Policemen, horses, dogs and vans.  As is the modern fad, mobile phones were being held up to record the action.  A packet of chips thudded against a Police van as the phalanx moved off towards the Park Lane.

It was a bit of a metaphor for the game as it turned out.  A feisty start ,a lot of noise and bluster, but fading out into nothing more than a distant mumble.  The first half was a mass of mis-placed passes, broken moves and huffing and puffing.  The first two came from Spurs, who failed to get their game going in the face of the latter, from West Ham, who put in a lot of effort closing down Tottenham.  Mousa Dembele had at least two claret shirts on him every time he got the ball and their pressing was making Spurs play the ball quickly and errantly.  The visitors were finding space on the flanks and a couple of early crosses hinted that was where the danger might come from. 

It was Spurs who were getting shots on goal, with Winks hitting a dropping ball on the volley, but putting it wide; Eriksen finishing off a fine ball from deep from Dier, but being offside and then Kane made a yard and shot early, but again, was off target.  Antonio was the outlet for the Irons and his cross blocked for a corner resulted in the ball dropping to Reid, who hit a shot that cannoned off Walker for another corner.  The long cross was headed back by Kouyate, with the ball bouncing back out off the bar.  Reid was there again and his shot popped up off Janssen and Antonio ran in to head in from close range.  It was a little against the run of play, but Tottenham had not created anything solid and would have to fight back from behind.

The time taken by Randolph at goal-kicks was embarrassing and when Janssen tackle Kouyate in from of the bench, with the visiting midfielder hitting the running track, the furore made by the West Ham bench produced a lengthy delay and the player received treatment off the field, while play was held up.  Why I don't know and I am not sure Mike Dean might have had a reasonable explanation.  After an untidy section of the game that saw a couple of bookings, Spurs started to look a bit more attacking, with a couple of crosses seeing players unable to get on the end of them as they challenged for the ball.  One saw Kane unceremoniously bundled over and  then Janssen went to run in on a corner, Kouyate fell and appeared to take the Dutchman's legs with his outstretched arms.  Nothing was given and Spurs threatened without making Randolph work as Rose fizzed a ball across the six yard box, with nobody on the end of it and then Wanyama took a return pass from Walker to shoot way too high from a narrow angle. 

Half time brought an end to a disappointing half for Spurs and the crowd were treated to an interview with former Spurs and West Ham United striker Clive Allen, who expounded the delight of playing in the Spurs side of 1986-87, when he scored 49 goals.  It could easily have been taken that he was gloating as we struggled for one in this game.  His ability to finish off the moves we created that season was uncanny.

When the teams came out for the second half, Spurs looked a little more determined, but caught on the break, it took a finely timed tackle in the box on Payet by Vertonghen to prevent him getting a shot off.  About five minutes later, Spurs were level.  Winks won the ball when possession had been lost.  Christian Eriksen fed Rose on the left and when he shaped to cross, Anotonio ridiculously jumped in the air, allowing our left back to take the bal past him and drilled a ball into the near post.  Vincent Janssen controlled the ball, amid shouts for handball and powered a shot at goal, which Randolph could only palm out in front of goal, where Harry Winks was in acres of space to knock past him to make the score 1-1.  His celebration was a joy to watch, as it brought a fine week to a culmination and a personal dream come true.

Finally finding space wide, Rose and Walker were pushing further forward.  Kyle's deep cross was headed back into the middle by Kane, but it hit Antonio right in front of him and then Walker's next run won a corner.  Eriksen took it and it ran through to Rose on the far side.  Danny hit it first time and it struck a claret shirt, when it was recycled, it came to him again and his fine cross picked out Eric Dier's head and the ball went down towards the goal, with Randolph sticking out a foot to keep it out.  West Ham made a double substitution and Rose and Antonio swapped bookings for fouls on each other. 

West Ham won a couple of corners and from the second, while Spurs were waiting to substitute Janssen with Alli, the Dutch striker was penalised for pulling Reid over as the ball came in.  It looked a harsh decision seeing as what had gone before (and what was to come), but against the run of play West Ham went ahead when Lanzini scored the spot-kick Alli came on, Spurs pushed forward and got caught on the break, but substitute Zaza delayed his pass left to Payet and he didn't have a shooting chance, so returned it to Zaza, but his effort was weak and straight at Hugo.  This came just after Zaza had a chance but allowed Dier to get in front and block his shot. 

When Tottenham moved forward, they looked threatening, but only a quickly taken free-kick to Alli, who had a shot saved by Randolph was all they had to show for it.  Payet was taken off and Nordtveit replaced him to shore up the defence.  But it was Tottenham's substitute, Son, who started to run into spaces that the side hadn't found before, perhaps as West Ham tired, but Alli's ball into the left side of the box saw the golden boots of Son pull the ball low across to the near post and the keeper could only palm the ball out, away from Ogbonna, straight to an unmarked Harry Kane, who stuck the ball in from two yards out.  The crowd went crazy and with two minutes left, it looked as though Tottenham had salvaged a draw.

But Kane's grabbing of the ball from the net and the return to the centre-circle indicated that they thought they could get more from the match.  When Son played a one-two with Eriksen and looked to cross from the exact same position, he wasn't able to as Nordtveit took his standing leg from under him and in the first minute of added time, Dean pointed to the spot.  Pressure for Kane, but he had been in this situation two seasons ago and scored on the rebound after Adrian saved the penalty.  This time he made no mistake, burying the ball in the bottom right hand corner of the keeper's goal, past Randolph's dive.  Son had whipped up the crowd before the penalty, but the noise when it went in was incredible.  In stark contrast, the West Ham fans were making their way back to London, quietly skulking out into the night, shamed that they were so ebullient, but were now on the losing end of a match they should have seen out.  It was a little bit ironic that Spurs scored so late in the game, when West Ham United London had spent much of the preceding 90 minutes time wasting. 

There was still time for West Ham captain Reid to crudely bring down Son on the halfway line to earn a  yellow card and then, with seconds left, clatter Kane with a forearm into the back of his neck and pick up another booking and a red card to boot.  Kiwi Reid really is a hacker and while he had one good season that made him a transfer target for other clubs, he stayed with West Ham and is looking like he has gone backwards.

The final whistle blew and Harry Winks celebrated like mad and the side all embraced as they had pulled off a remarkable come-back, against a side playing well above their recent form.  Spurs hadn't played well, but had kept their belief in their style of play and West Ham had opted to take off forwards to try and close the game down, but their efforts waned and Kane produced the pain, with two late goals to win and put Spurs back among the top five, after a string of draws.

Chelsea next week will be a very different game, but for the moment, it is days like these that we go to football for.

Peter Martins

Saying that Janssen was pulling Reid back was a bit strong.  A hand on his shoulder and a touch on his stomach shouldn't make a strong defender fall to the ground, should it ?  If that was the case, Ogbonna's two hands firmly on Kane's shoulders would make the penalty doubly sure ... wouldn't it ?

Apparently not, as Webb said that it was more clear cut at set pieces and if there is doubt he shouldn't give a penalty.  He then went on to say that he was under pressure for giving West Ham a pen, so had to be certain to give a second.

That's like saying  a foul in the first minute is different to one in the last.

It appears that referees don't lose their inconsistency even when they stop blowing the whistle.