Tottenham v Newcastle

[bandini]

Tottenham will be hoping to capitalise on their impressive home form when Newcastle United visit White Hart Lane on Sunday, when Martin Jol welcomes back Robbie Keane and Aaron Lennon from injuries.

Tottenham

RETURNING: Robbie Keane (knee), Aaron Lennon (knee)

OUT: Ledley King (foot), Jermaine Jenas (ankle), Paul Stalteri (hip)

DOUBTFUL: Mido (groin)

EUROSTAT: Spurs are on a run of 12 Premiership games without a clean sheet.

MANAGER QUOTE: "I feel the future is ours, although I would sometimes like to see a little more bite if we are to get good results away from home." Martin Jol

Newcastle

RETURNING: Scott Parker (suspension), Emre (groin), Steve Harper (hernia)

OUT: Peter Ramage, Celestine Babayaro, Craig Moore (all hamstring), Charles N'Zogbia (knee), Titus Bramble (calf), Damien Duff (knee), Olivier Bernand (hip), Michael Owen (knee), Stephen Carr (foot)

DOUBTFUL: Nicky Butt (virus)

EUROSTAT: Newcastle have scored just seven goals on their travels this season.

MANAGER QUOTE: "We have made our inquries for a couple of players and now we are waiting for answers. Hopefully those answers will be positive." Glenn Roeder on potential signings.

Prediction: 2-0

source: Eurosport - The best of sport live: football, tennis, motorsports, rugby, athletics, cycling, basketball.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Will Lennon start tomorrow ?

The team looks different when he's not there.

[bandini]

Yeah, looks like Lennon will start but King won't. It's a big game for Spurs. They are going into a really tough schedule of games and the cup games against the Gunners are looming. Game is live tomorrow and I hope to be posting on here after nothing less than a win!

[Oliver_Kahn]

I would like to watch this one, but I don't have it on Tv.

Well I hope Berbatov fins his luck again, now that Lennon is back.

[Olzy]

The first 10 minutes Spurs were on fire!

very entaining game, but Spurs fans are starting to get frustated now.

As newcastle are closing down very well and they keep passing it back to Fatty Robinson

[Doc-Bhoy]

Chimbonda just slapped Butt bit of afters in the tunnel aswell, should be a fiesty second half

[bandini]

Very entertaining first half. Some great footy, but Spurs really should have been ahead going in to the tunnel. Givens was excellent in the first half. I hope to see more goals in the 2nd half.

[bandini]

Originally Posted by Doc-Bhoy

Chimbonda just slapped Butt bit of afters in the tunnel aswell, should be a fiesty second half

yeah, but Butt got booked and I didn't see a card for Chimbonda although I may have missed it

[Doc-Bhoy]

Chimbonda was booked aswell when he went back to his dressing room.

[bandini]

Speechless and embarrassed. Full credit to Newcastle, but I CANNOT believe that Spurs didn't win that one.

Clear penalty and tons and tons of chances including Defoe hitting the post at the end.

They thought they had the game won when it was 2-1 and then they sat back and blew it.

[bandini]

Newcastle midfielder Nicky Butt was involved in an ugly half-time bust-up at White Hart Lane then responded by firing in the winner against Tottenham.


The former England midfielder was raging at the interval after he appeared to be slapped by Pascal Chimbonda, but he then helped his side complete a fine comeback to win a thrilling Barclays Premiership clash 3-2.

Paul Huntington's first goal for Newcastle had cancelled out Jermain Defoe's opener before Dimitar Berbatov restored the lead in the end-to-end clash.

• Goal hero Butt hails spirit

Obafemi Martins stunned Spurs with a spectacular strike with 19 minutes left then set up Butt for the winner two minutes later, giving Newcastle hope of establishing themselves in mid-table.

Martin Jol's men have now lost consecutive games at home - after winning 12 in a row - and wasted their best chances as they looked for the points to help them break into the top six.

The opening half was full of chances and highlighted the strengths and weakness of each side, Spurs attacking with pace but also looking shaky without the influence of skipper Ledley King in defence.

The visitors could not be faulted for effort but were struggling for numbers, in particular a partner for Martins in attack.

The corresponding fixture last season saw Michael Owen pick up his famous metatarsal injury, and Newcastle's injury worries had increased in the year that has passed.

Only two players remained from that clash - Nolberto Solano and Shay Given - and Glenn Roeder was without midfield pair Emre and Scott Parker.

Emre, who was charged by the Football Association earlier in the week for using racist language, had been struggling with a groin injury while Parker was back from suspension but not in the matchday squad.

Spurs attempted to capitalise on Newcastle's inexperience and Given kept the visitors in the game early on.

He used his chest to deny Defoe in the fifth minute when Steed Malbranque slid him through, then the England striker hooked a volley over the bar.

Given, the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper, also had to save from a Berbatov drive and a dipping volley from Malbranque, the latter after Solano's clearance had struck team-mate Steven Taylor in his own six-yard area.

The Newcastle stopper then produced a stunning save to claw away a Defoe header, but the England striker was not to be denied in the 14th minute.

Spurs switched the ball from right to left and Malbranque crossed for Defoe, who had stayed just level with the last defender, and he finished with confidence from close range.

The visitors, however, were level within two minutes when James Milner's free-kick found Huntington unmarked at the back post. The left-back's first effort rebounded back to him off Antoine Sibierski, and he then fired through Paul Robinson's legs at the near post.

Both sides had half chances to grab the advantage, Malbranque wasting the best of them just before the half-hour mark when he lobbed wide after Given had rushed out to clear and was out of position.

Peter Ramage and Solano picked up yellow cards before the interval for fouling Aaron Lennon and Malbranque respectively, and there was added needle in the game stemming from Berbatov trying to block Given's kicks.

Given confronted referee Steve Bennett about it at the break, with Butt and Chimbonda also clashing. Chimbonda appeared to slap Butt, who reacted and pushed the Spurs full-back in the chest, with Butt fuming as he was ushered down the tunnel. Both were booked.

After the break, Matthew Pattison was found at the far post by Milner but could not get power or direction on his header.

Spurs restored the lead in the 54th minute when Chimbonda raced down the right and crossed, Teemu Tainio's finish was blocked by Solano but Berbatov steered his volley into the top corner.

Defoe then stung the palms of Given with a drive as Spurs looked for a third, with Tom Huddlestone's fierce volley dipping just wide with 22 minutes left.

But Martin levelled for the visitors with 19 minutes left, exchanging passes with Kieron Dyer before finding the top corner from the edge of the area.

They were ahead two minutes later when Martins threaded the ball through to Butt, who squeezed his finish in at the far post.

Robbie Keane came on and had a shot blocked by Solano on the line, while Defoe hit the post - but Newcastle held on for victory.

• Goal hero Butt hails spirit

Match-winner Nicky Butt hailed Newcastle's spirit as they twice came from behind to beat Tottenham 3-2 at White Hart Lane.

Jermain Defoe gave Spurs a deserved lead early on but Paul Huntington levelled almost immediately for the visitors with his first senior goal for the Magpies.

Dimitar Berbatov restored Tottenham's advantage shortly after half-time but a stunning strike from Obafemi Martins and Butt's first goal of the season snatched the points for Newcastle.

'It's very pleasing, it shows good team spirit,' Butt said.

'Obviously, we're down to our bare bones with the squad with the injuries we've got.

'We stuck at it. It wasn't a great performance but we got the goals at the right time and a great victory.'

Butt was only just passed fit after coming down with the 'flu and he was delighted to make a decisive contribution.

'It's nice scoring goals but even more important in the position we're in is to get three points and that shoots you straight up the table,' he said.

Man of the match Martins was delighted with his spectacular strike, saying: 'It's a great goal and I'm very happy that we didn't give up.'

Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder described his side's comeback as 'absolutely brilliant' and was fulsome in his praise of the young players who he has been forced to field in the wake of the club's injury problems.

'The young boys fully deserve the three points here this evening,' he said.

'These young boys out there today, three or four of them who've come through the academy, it's been a tough baptism for them over the past six or seven weeks because of all the injuries.

'I thought today they were absolutely tremendous, as were the senior players.'

Roeder also hailed Shay Given as 'the best goalkeeper in the Premiership' but saved the biggest compliment for Butt, saying: 'Nicky Butt has been in bed for five days with a heavy dose of 'flu, lost nine pounds of weight before the game. I don't think many players would have got out of their sick bed to play.

'Not only has he played for the whole 90 minutes, he's been magnificent.'

Tottenham boss Martin Jol added: 'We played marvellous football at 1-0, then they scored from a free-kick and that didn't help. Even at 2-1 we should have scored.

'Overall this afternoon we are very unfortunate not to get more out of this game.

'If you've got a lot of experience you keep your shape but we looked for a third goal and it didn't come.

'But all credit to Newcastle - if you score three goals at White Hart Lane you have done something well.'

source: ESPNsoccernet - England - Tottenham v Newcastle Report

[kennethlindheim]

Martins goal was unbelievable. What a game! Absolutely fantastic. I noticed when Dyer started getting into the game we upped our tempo and that's what got us back into it. Its great to see a Toon side with some fight in it.

[bandini]

Full credit and that goal was amazing. I'm trying to remember when, but Yeboah scored a few goals for Leeds some years ago (probably around 1998) that were very similar to that style.