Sunday quality round-up

Last updated : 31 October 2005 By Spurs mad
The Sunday Times
Joe Lovejoy at White Hart Lane

When it comes to north London derbies, Tottenham's record is as bad as anything Des O'Connor has produced, and it is very much a long player. Spurs have failed to beat Arsenal since 1999, and were denied yet again yesterday by Robert Pires's celebration of his 32nd birthday with his eighth goal in 10 matches against the old enemy. Tottenham, though, were left angry that their former captain, Sol Campbell, was not shown a card of some colour for a flailing elbow that left Teemu Tainio with a head wound and two stitches. A Tottenham supporter was arrested by police for abusing Campbell as he left the field at full time. Tottenham's failure to beat Arsenal stretches back 13 games. Unlucky 13? Some may say so after Tottenham dominated the first half and took a deserved lead through Ledley King, but the Gunners hit back well after the interval when the introduction of Pires and Robin van Persie turned the tide. Form, the League table and the continuing absence of the talisman that is Thierry Henry suggested Jol's vibrant young team would at last gain bragging rights for their long-suffering supporters, and at half-time they seemed set fair. However, for the second week in succession, Paul Robinson was horribly culpable. Here he flapped weakly at a free kick from Dennis Bergkamp and fumbled the ball straight to Pires, who took full advantage from seven yards. It was another expensive gaffe by the England goalkeeper, whose embarrassment will have been compounded by Sven-Göran Eriksson's presence. Eriksson will have been much more impressed with King, who outshone Campbell in central defence, and to an even greater extent by 21-year-old Michael Dawson, whose faultless, commanding performance will have added him to the ever-lengthening list from which Eriksson selects his centre-halves. Michael Carrick, too, will have done his World Cup prospects no harm. In the first half, when the force was with Spurs, he was their creative fulcrum - the best player on the pitch. Sensing that their fast-improving opponents had their best chance in this fixture for years, Arsenal were panicky in the face of Spurs' in-your-face challenge, and tended to kick the ball long, rather than bring it out from the back, which only surrendered possession and increased the pressure. Nobody was more edgy and ill at ease than Campbell, whose every misplaced pass and poor clearance was mocked by the White Hart Lane crowd that used to idolise him. King, who has replaced him in their affections, added to his burgeoning reputation in an excellent first half exemplified by two incidents at either end of the pitch. After 11 minutes his clean-as-a-whistle tackle dispossessed Jose Antonio Reyes on the edge of the six-yard box, and after 17 he headed home Carrick's free kick from the right. Pires went close with a 20-yard free kick, but before the initiative changed hands completely Jermain Defoe darted between Lauren and Kolo Toure to get in a shot which Jens Lehmann saved with his legs. Quick in thought and deed, eager and direct, the second substitute, Van Persie was at once a major problem for the Tottenham defence. Within two minutes of his arrival he brought a spectacular flying save from Robinson, and after two minutes more, he was desperately close to tucking away a bisecting through pass from Pires. Now it was Arsenal who had the upper hand, and their resurgence was rewarded a quarter of an hour from the end when Robinson's careless hands gave Pires the birthday present he will have cherished most. Van Persie might have won it at the end when his goalbound shot hit Dawson, but defeat would have been hard on Spurs. STAR MAN: Michael Dawson (Tottenham)

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
Pires makes it an unlucky 13th derby for Tottenham
By Roy Collins

For all the evidence of Tottenham's undoubted improvement this season, including their dominance of a first half in which they should have secured a winning lead, they still lack belief in their ability to beat the country's best clubs. Arsenal simply refused to allow Spurs to beat them for the first time in 13 attempts. Their equaliser owed much to an error from goalkeeper Paul Robinson in front of England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson but by the end, they were almost the Arsenal of two years ago, flashing passes across the pitch and forcing Robinson into two desperate saves, with Michael Dawson blocking another goal-bound effort from Robin van Persie. As Tottenham seemed strangely willing to try to protect their lead, rather than build on it, Pires allowed Arsenal to finally gain a foothold in midfield, where Michael Carrick had dominated, with assistance from Jermaine Jenas and the excellent Aaron Lennon, who gave Jose Antonio Reyes more than a run for his money. Pires was celebrating his 32nd birthday, although it is always his birthday against Spurs, a club against whom he had scored seven times in nine games. Sure enough, when Robinson, perhaps blinded by the sun, pawed out a Dennis Bergkamp free-kick, it was to Pires that it fell, his shot nestling in the far corner seconds later. Victory would have done much to shape Tottenham's season, especially having earned a good point against Manchester United at Old Trafford last week. Their fans are so delighted with the team that is taking shape that they restricted their normal hatred for Sol Campbell to fairly tame booing, genuinely not bothered about him anymore, now that Ledley King and Dawson have formed such an impressive partnership in the centre. King even soared to score Spurs' goal in the 17th minute the way Campbell used to do so regularly at the Lane but has done so infrequently since moving across to the other side of North London. Spurs were worthy of their lead, winning all the decisive battles all over the field. The only two occasions when Arsenal looked like fashioning even a goal chance saw Carrick make a sublime interception to prevent Francesc Fabregas getting in and King, with incredible timing, take the ball from the foot of Reyes. Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was also required to make a wonderful first-half save from Jenas, otherwise the game might have been beyond repair for his team.

The Observer
Amy Lawrence at White Hart Lane

Arsene Wenger traditionally encourages a period of quiet contemplation during half-time, but was only too happy to see his players unleashing some passion. They had shown precious little in a first half dominated so comprehensively by Martin Jol's men. Over in the home dressing room they were kicking themselves for not having killed the game off by then. Until Robert Pires, excluded from the starting line-up, cantered on to the pitch, the midfield heartland had been child's play for Michael Carrick, Jermaine Jenas, Aaron Lennon and Teemu Tainio. For the opening 45 minutes, which gave credence to Tottenham's optimism that they were ready to emerge from Arsenal's shadows, Martin Jol's young team outmuscled, out-thought and outplayed their foes. Arsenal were carrying far too many passengers - Sol Campbell almost scored an own goal and was fortunate to escape punishment for an elbow which required Tainio to have two stitches above an eye. Carrick spent the half demonstrating to Wenger what a useful player he would have been at Highbury. A powerhouse in midfield, he tackled, cajoled, orchestrated and relished the opportunity to thump shots when the opportunity arose. In the 17th minute, he floated the ball into the heart of Arsenal's box and Ledley King did what none of a cluster of visiting defenders would do - actually jumped to meet the ball in the air. It's amazing what happens when you attack an aerial ball. King was rewarded for his efforts by tucking his header past Jens Lehmann. Then Carrick and Jenas lashed in shots which might have given Tottenham more of a cushion - the first arrowed wide, the second repelled by Lehmann's reflex save. The German goalkeeper had an eventful second half, producing another agile stop to deny Jermain Defoe with an outstretched leg, before he was struck by a conker thrown from the Park Lane End. Seasonal abuse. But it was Spurs keeper Paul Robinson who had the biggest impact on the second half, fumbling Dennis Bergkamp's free-kick for Pires to equalise. For the second week running Robinson's hesitancy cost Tottenham a crucial goal against the kind of team they expect to be jostling with them in the hunt for Champions League places. First Manchester United, now Arsenal. By full-time, Spurs fans who had come expecting so much were deflated. They watched their comfortable dominance eroded to the extent that they were relieved to cling on to a point. Reports of Arsenal's demise, and Tottenham's rise, turned out to be premature. Men of the match: Michael Carrick and Aaron Lennon had impressed as Tottenham forced the issue in the first half, but as soon as Pires stepped on to the pitch, the tone of the game tilted radically. THE

INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY
By Steve Tongue at White Hart Lane

Tottenham had been convinced this was their opportunity to be crowned kings of north London, a position they have not held for any length of time since finishing five places ahead of Arsenal in 1995. For 45 minutes, a first Spurs win in the fixture for six years seemed possible. But Robert Pires came on at half-time and it was he who struck the deserved equaliser to Ledley King's header as his team dominated the second half almost as comprehensively as the home side had done the first. Any tendency to believe the old order has been effectively upheld should be balanced against the evidence of the first half here. At the back Kolo Touré found Mido's physical presence a handful and Sol Campbell for once appeared affected by nerves on the ground where he is regarded as Judas Iscariot in disguise. The upshot was that even without the suspended Edgar Davids alongside him, Michael Carrick was able to control proceedings just in front of King and Michael Dawson; an impressive English trio to set before Sven Goran Eriksson. Indeed, Spurs started with no fewer than seven Englishmen and while it is simplistic to suggest that foreign players do not understand the nature of local derbies - which do, after all, take place all over the world - the irresistible feeling yesterday was that Tottenham were "up" for the game in a manner their local rivals could not match. Arsenal's two early bookings, for fouls by Gilberto Silva and Mathieu Flamini, were a sign of desperation under pressure rather than the sort of commitment being shown by every man in a white shirt. In a couple of instances the shrieking home crowd were annoyed that Steve Bennett penalised Arsenal instead of allowing play to continue, but the second time that happened, a goal resulted. Flamini fouled Aaron Lennon on the right and then made things worse by allowing King to slip away from him and head in Carrick's out-swinging free-kick. Jermaine Jenas fed Carrick for a fizzing left-footed drive just past the post and then hit an equally fierce shot from a similar spot that Jens Lehmann did well to touch over the crossbar - all the more so as there had been a slight deflection off Campbell. It was typical of Spurs' spirit that Teemu Tainio should refuse to come off despite having to change his blood-soaked shirt and shorts after a collision with Campbell that he clearly felt involved an elbow. There was an opportunity for Jermain Defoe, wriggling in to hit Lehmann's legs, before Arsenal took control. Pires floated a free-kick wide and twice set up the second substitute, Robin van Persie, bringing one stunning left-handed save from Paul Robinson. By the 77th minute, an equaliser was looking like a matter of time. It materialised, like Tottenham's goal, from a free-kick, after Reyes went down on the left. Robinson may or may not have found the sun as much of a hazard as Bergkamp's swirling cross - which is surely why goalkeepers are allowed to wear caps. His unconvincing punch fell perfectly for an unmarked Pires to drive in his eighth goal in 10 games against Spurs and set off on a celebratory run all the way back to Lehmann. The birthday boy may even have shared some uncomplimentary words about Tottenham with the goalkeeper, who had earlier been hit by a conker, of all things, thrown from the crowd. Spurs were unable to land another blow on him before the finish.