Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur

[THFC6061]

Britannia Stadium, Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent (Capacity: 28,383)
Saturday 20th March 2010, Kick Off 15:00
Premier League, Match 30










Stoke City: 11th in Premier League, 36 points from 87
Tottenham Hotspur: 4th in Premier League, 52 points from 87

Referee: Mike Dean
Assistant referees: Patrick Keane & Adam Watts
Fourth official: Chris Foy



COMMENT:

Stoke City host Tottenham Hotspur at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday 20th March in the 30th Premier League match of a fascinating season in which everything is still wide open concerning the European places up for grabs. Stoke did Spurs a huge favour by holding Aston Villa, who are one of Tottenham's rivals for the fourth Champions League place, to a goalless draw last time out, while Spurs recorded a good 3-1 home win over Blackburn Rovers in a game where Jermain Defoe both scored and assisted, Roman Pavlyucenko scored a brace and there were assists for the excellent Gareth Bale and Vedran Corluka.

That win gave Spurs a club record 52 points after 29 matches in the Premier League and Harry Redknapp will be keen to avenge the 1-0 defeat Stoke inflicted on Spurs at White Hart Lane when the teams met in October. Glenn Whelan's goal four minutes from time did the damage after Aaron Lennon was forced to withdraw ten minutes before time due to injury after all three Spurs substitues had been used.

Tottenham's recent form is very impressive indeed, with just the one defeat in their last twelve matches, while Stoke City are very difficult to beat at home and can look forward to a third consecutive season in the Premier League. Both teams won their respective home matches last season with Stoke coming out on top 2-1 at the Britannia and Spurs winning 3-1 at White Hart Lane.

Spurs have won their last three consecutive Premier League matches and a win at Stoke would equal their best run of the current season when they won their first four matches.

The current Stoke squad features former Spurs player Matthew Etherington, who is having a fantastic season in the Potteries. Etherington joined Spurs from Peterborough United in December 1999 and made 51 appearances, scoring twice, before his move to West Ham United for the start of the 2003-04 season.

TEAM NEWS:

Stoke's Ryan Shawcross, who has completed a three-match ban for his sending off against Arsenal, is a slight doubt with an ankle problem. Potters manager Tony Pulis must decide whether to recall the defender or keep faith with the back four that kept a clean sheet against Aston Villa.

Jermain Defoe leads the latest influx of players onto our injury list ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier League trip to Stoke City. The striker tore a hamstring in training this week and will not feature at the Britannia Stadium. Youngsters Danny Rose and Kyle Walker are also ruled out with knee and wrist trouble respectively. The trio join Aaron Lennon, Ledley King, Tom Huddlestone, Jermaine Jenas, Jonathan Woodgate and Carlo Cudicini on the injury list, while David Bentley is doubtful for the game due to illness. Manager Harry Redknapp admitted in Friday's pre-match press conference that the absences leave him a little short in certain areas. He said: "Jermain tore a hamstring yesterday. It's a Grade 2 tear so it will certainly keep him out for a few weeks. "Kyle fractured his wrist in the practice game against West Ham on Tuesday so he's going into plaster and Danny damaged his knee ligaments in training yesterday also. "So we're struggling a little bit because David went down with a virus this morning and neither JJ or Tom are fit yet. "We've run into a bad spell of injuries. I've got Peter Crouch, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Eidur Gudjohnsen to cover up front but it's other areas where we are just a little bit short at the moment, especially in midfield." On Lennon's progress from the groin injury that has kept him sidelined since the turn of the year, Harry added: "I'm not sure how long it will take with Aaron. "He's raring to go and get back out there, so we are hoping he will get out on the grass and do some running again at some point next week.
"The boy is desperate to play and we're desperate to get him back - but he's still a way off yet. We'll just keep taking it day-by-day and week-by-week with him."

MATCH FACTS:

Head-to-head

• Stoke won this fixture 2-1 last season, in what proved to be Juande Ramos' final league match as Tottenham manager.
• Spurs recorded their joint-biggest away win in top-flight football when they won 6-1 at the Victoria Ground on 15 September 1951.

Stoke City

• The Potters have only lost one of their 10 league games in 2010 (W3, D6, L1).
• Eight of their nine defeats this season have come against clubs in the top half of the table.
• They have dropped 19 points from winning positions this season - more than any other club in the division.

Tottenham Hotspur

• Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe have scored 14 out of Tottenham's last 17 goals in all competitions.
• Spurs have won only one of the nine league games in which they conceded the opening goal.
• They are chasing a fourth successive league win.

LAST MATCH LINE-UPS:

Stoke City (D 0-0 Aston Villa H)

Sorensen, Higginbotham, Huth, Collins, Faye, Whelan, Whitehead, Delap, Etherington, Sidibe (Kitson 54), Sanli (Fuller 53)

Substitutes: Begovic, Wilkinson, Lawrence, Pugh,Moult

Tottenham Hotspur (W 3-1 Blackburn Rovers H)

Gomes, Corluka, Dawson, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Modric (Gudjohnsen 89), Palacios, Kranjcar, Bale, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe (Crouch 82)

Substitutes: Alnwick, Kyle Walker, Kaboul, Livermore, Rose

Goals: Defoe 45+1, Pavlyuchenko 55 & 85

MARK LAWRENSON'S PREDICTION (BBC):

Stoke are very comfortable with what they've got, but they can play good football as well as all the long throws and they do it in different ways.
I'm still not convinced by Tottenham away from home - you can get at them. At home you fancy them against anyone but can you say that away? No.

Prediction: Stoke City 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

PREVIOUS MEETINGS:

Saturday afternoon's match will be the 78th meeting between Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City.

Here are the results of the previous 77 matches with Spurs' score shown first:

01-Feb-1896 F.A. Cup 1 6,000 A L 0 - 5
25-Feb-1899 F.A. Cup 3 25,000 A L 1 - 4 Bradshaw
05-Mar-1900 Friendly - H W 6 - 0 Cameron, Pratt (4), Kirwan
03-Apr-20 Division 2 36,000 H W 2 - 0 Grimsdell, Dimmock
10-Apr-20 Division 2 12,000 A W 3 - 1 Seed, Cantrell (2)
17-Mar-23 Division 1 30,000 A D 0 - 0
24-Mar-23 Division 1 20,000 H W 3 - 1 Lindsay, Handley, Dimmock
27-Oct-28 Division 2 15,333 A L 0 - 2
09-Mar-29 Division 2 26,760 H W 1 - 0 O'Callaghan
09-Oct-29 Division 2 8,545 H W 3 - 1 Osborne (3)
03-May-30 Division 2 6,560 A L 0 - 1
20-Sep-30 Division 2 10,252 A L 1 - 2 Cook
26-Jan-31 Division 2 10,927 H W 3 - 0 Lyons (pen), Messer, Harper
25-Mar-32 Division 2 26,503 H D 3 - 3 Evans T (pen), Hunt GS, O'Callaghan
28-Mar-32 Division 2 15,042 A D 2 - 2 Greenfield, Evans W
03-Sep-32 Division 2 12,366 A L 0 - 2
01-Jan-33 Division 2 43,711 H W 3 - 2 Davies, Hunt GS (2)
30-Mar-34 Division 1 32,912 H D 0 - 0
02-Apr-34 Division 1 32,665 A L 0 - 2
08-Dec-34 Division 1 31,082 H W 3 - 2 O'Callaghan, Hunt GS, Bellamy
20-Apr-35 Division 1 11,574 A L 1 - 4 Hunt DA
11-Jan-47 F.A. Cup 3 65,681 H D 2 - 2 Ludford, Bennett
15-Jan-47 F.A. Cup 3 Replay 38,631 A L 0 - 1
07-Jan-50 F.A. Cup 3 47,000 A W 1 - 0 Baily
21-Oct-50 Division 1 54,124 H W 6 - 1 Walters, Bennett (2), Duquemin (2), Medley
10-Mar-51 Division 1 26,236 A D 0 - 0
15-Sep-51 Division 1 27,154 A W 6 - 1 Ramsey (pen), Walters, Bennett, McClellan, Medley (2)
19-Jan-52 Division 1 45,976 H W 2 - 0 Duquemin, Harmer
03-Apr-53 Division 1 35,606 H W 1 - 0 Harmer
06-Apr-53 Division 1 25,346 A L 0 - 2
24-Aug-63 Division 1 40,638 A L 1 - 2 Smith R
14-Dec-63 Division 1 36,776 H W 2 - 1 Greaves (2)
09-Sep-64 Division 1 36,329 A L 0 - 2
17-Sep-64 Division 1 34,821 H W 2 - 1 Greaves, Saul
27-Nov-65 Division 1 26,406 H D 2 - 2 Gilzean, Robertson
23-Apr-66 Division 1 19,112 A W 1 - 0 Greaves (pen)
24-Aug-66 Division 1 34,683 A L 0 - 2
31-Aug-66 Division 1 37,908 H W 2 - 0 Greaves (pen), Gilzean
28-Oct-67 Division 1 27,144 A L 1 - 2 Venables
23-Mar-68 Division 1 29,530 H W 3 - 0 England, Robertson, Jones
02-Nov-68 Division 1 33,308 H D 1 - 1 Greaves
11-Jan-69 Division 1 21,729 A D 1 - 1 Jenkins
25-Oct-69 Division 1 19,569 A D 1 - 1 Gilzean
21-Feb-70 Division 1 29,976 H W 1 - 0 Mullery
24-Oct-70 Division 1 36,238 H W 3 - 0 Gilzean, Chivers (2)
05-May-71 Division 1 14,019 A W 1 - 0 Peters
30-Oct-71 Division 1 28,540 A L 0 - 2
19-Feb-72 Division 1 32,841 H W 2 - 0 Chivers (2)
07-Oct-72 Division 1 31,951 H W 4 - 3 Pratt (2), Gilzean, Coates
14-Mar-73 Division 1 23,351 A D 1 - 1 Pearce
08-Dec-73 Division 1 14,034 H W 2 - 1 Evans, Pratt
20-Apr-74 Division 1 20,189 A L 0 - 1
02-Nov-74 Division 1 24,667 A D 2 - 2 Duncan (2)
08-Feb-75 Division 1 22,941 H L 0 - 2
15-Nov-75 Division 1 25,698 H D 1 - 1 Jones
03-Jan-76 F.A. Cup 3 26,715 H D 1 - 1 Duncan
08-Jan-76 F.A. Cup 3 Replay 29,751 A L 1 - 2 Perryman
21-Feb-76 Division 1 17,110 A W 2 - 1 Hoddle, Duncan
27-Nov-76 Division 1 22,500 H W 2 - 0 Osgood (2, 1pen)
23-Apr-77 Division 1 15,644 A D 0 - 0
29-Oct-77 Division 2 21,012 A W 3 - 1 Pratt, Armstrong (2)
22-Mar-78 Division 2 30,646 H W 3 - 1 McAllister, Lee (2)
25-Aug-79 Division 1 22,832 A L 1 - 3 Perryman
29-Dec-79 Division 1 28,810 H W 1 - 0 Pratt
04-Oct-80 Division 1 18,614 A W 3 - 2 Hughton, Archibald, Taylor (pen)
11-Mar-81 Division 1 28,742 H D 2 - 2 Ardiles, Brooke
10-Oct-81 Division 1 30,520 H W 2 - 0 Ardiles, Crooks
27-Feb-82 Division 1 20,592 A W 2 - 0 Crooks (2)
11-Dec-82 Division 1 15,849 A L 0 - 2
14-May-83 Division 1 33,691 H W 4 - 1 Brazil, Archibald (3)
05-Nov-83 Division 1 14,726 A D 1 - 1 Falco
03-Mar-84 Division 1 18,271 H W 1 - 0 Falco (pen)
27-Oct-84 Division 1 23,477 H W 4 - 0 Roberts (pen), Chiedozie, Allen C (2)
02-Mar-85 Division 1 12,552 A W 1 - 0 Crooks
16-Oct-2008 FA Prem 27,500 A L 1 - 2 Bent
27-Jan-09 FA Prem 36,072 H W 3 - 1 Lennon, Defoe, Dawson
24-Oct-09 FA Prem 36,031 H L 0 - 1
20-Mar-10 FA Prem A







Full match preview, including match report & images from the last meeting between Spurs & Stoke, available here:

My Football Facts & Stats | Tottenham Hotspur | Match Preview 40

[THFC6061]

Stoke City players need rest, says manager Tony Pulis

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis says his players will benefit from a week without a midweek game.

The Potters have had a congested fixture schedule in 2010 and Pulis told BBC Radio Stoke that some players in his team are starting to look jaded.
"We've been playing three-game weeks," said the Stoke boss after the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday.

"Physically I think we've looked alright, but mentally it's tiring for them and we'll go steady with them."

Pulis also said that he was not worried by Tuncay deciding to head straight for the dressing room after being substituted early in the second half.

"They're from a different generation, so you have to accept that they have different views," added Pulis.

"He gets disappointed every time he gets brought off, but he's been good as gold around the place."

The Potters, who remain 11th in the Premier League, face fourth-placed Tottenham at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.

BBC Sport - Football - Stoke City players need rest, says manager Tony Pulis

[HeroesComesandGoes]

Dear Tony Pulis, please rest Delap...can't believe that one player through his long balls can be a threat. Did anyone read about Burnley pulling the advertising boards forward to block his run-ups before a throw it? it didn't work because Burnley still let a goal in through a Delap's throw in - LOL

[SirBillyNick]

Villa struggled against this lot on Saturday, if I'm honest I'd be happy with a draw, a win being a bonus

[innteck]

i will love a win, come on pav !~

[nickGT]

I am pretty confident we will win this game. I know stoke are a good team. However I can't help but feel we will come away with a nice solid win.

[HeroesComesandGoes]

If we can't deal with Stoke at home (a la Wolves) then, how can Spurs deal with them away (a la Wolves)...I very much would like a draw...any points would take us closer to the 16 points target...

[BigDub]

Normally I would wait a few days to fully comprehend and think about this one, but with our current run of form I am too excited not to take it all in now. The weekend can't come soon enough.

The point about Villa struggling against Stoke is a fair one, as they are our competitors for fourth. However, Villa has trouble scoring every single week. This is not a problem Spurs have. Stoke have conceded half of their goals at home this season, so in that sense it is just as easy to score on them at home as it is on the road. They do have solid defenders, though, and if Shawcross is back he is another one who can be a rock on the back line. Jermain Defoe is the game breaker here for me. He's small, elusive, and quick, just the sort of attributes that trouble bigger, stronger defenders. He won't win any balls in the air obviously, but he can maneuver himself into attacking positions. If Defoe has a good game it makes our chances much, much better.

Defensively I think we are in great form. Stoke have only scored 28 goals all season, though 20 of those came at home. Only Birmingham, Wigan, Wolves, Hull, and Pompey have scored less on their own ground. Obviously those long throws are their most unique threat. I can't recall if we have ever been scored on by one of those in the two seasons since Stoke's promotion. However, I do know that Dawson and Bassong are in great form and play very well in the air. Additionally, Gomes has looked good, and while we all know he can be shaky in the air, has shown the last couple games that he can come through and snag those tough-to-get crosses/corners.

The team is going to be an interesting one. I think we will want some extra steel in the midfield so Kaboul could see time, at least as a substitute. I also think this will be a game that suits Crouch, although, again, this could be coming off the bench. But potentially Harry could throw something out like:

------------Gomes------------
-Corluka-Dawson-Bassong-Bale-
-Niko-Kaboul-Palacios-Modric-
----Defoe------Crouch----

Also, if he prefers Bale on the wing then BAE could slot in at LB. I just think that it would be better to play Luka there. If we start both Younes and Wilson we will have a significant lack of attacking presence in the central midfield. If Luka is played, he is the kind of player, like Niko, who will cut inside and add that threat that would otherwise be lacking. Having Bale running forward from LB means we also would have width to work with on one side. With the available players, this seems like the most balanced lineup IMO.

As far as a prediction I, for some reason, have a good feeling about this one. We have been in great form and 3 points here would tie our best run of games this season (with our 4 wins to start the year). I don't think it will be possible for Stoke to keep us out of the goal. Pav, if he plays, or Defoe are bound to score. That second goal will be the clincher, as I don't see Stoke getting more than one. They may get one off a throw, but I don't see enough class in their side to be able to break down our defense. I'll say 2-0 to Spurs, as I'll go with us not conceding to them on a Delap throw. Defoe at the double will give us three points.

COYS!

[JoeHughes]

i'm going to the game on saturday, anyone gettin the train? and what times are people heading to stoke? x

[Tottenham-ManU]

------------Gomes------------
-Corluka-Dawson-Bassong-Bale-
-Niko-Kaboul-Palacios-Modric-
----Defoe------Crouch----

!

n thats a good plan man maybe u should b our manger :P but the thing is we dont know about kaboul but i think he should play him..n havin modric n bale on the same side i think thats gonna get us a gr8 left side we can control the game n attack from there


LEts goo n WIN!!

[GTGio]

i'm going to the game on saturday, anyone gettin the train? and what times are people heading to stoke? x

Im goin to the game mate, but will be goin up on friday nite as i av family up there!! Il be at the game arount 2 maybe jus b4 for a beer. I got my ticket through today and by the sounds of it i mite be at the front!! Which id prefer to of been higher up! but ill av to see as i cant seem to find that out on the tinternet. COME ON THE YIDS, I WANT PLENTY OF SOUND ON SATURDAY!!!

[thfcshady27]

tough tough game and we'll have to be on top of our game to get anything from it......i reckon it will be a draw to be honest but we're capable of nicking it!

[woody]

can see it being one of those games where we lack the killer instinct to finish the game off, we'll probably score first but they get a late equaliser, strength is needed in the team, i think this is the perfect match for a certain eidur gudjohnsen to step up to the mark and use his strength and passing ability to dictate the game, crouch instead of pav because we will need an aerial threat as anything on the ground will be mopped up by stokes highly aggressive style, to beat them we must match their style

team:

gomes, corluka, bassong, dawson (c), assou-ekotto, modric, palacios, gudjohnsen, bale, crouch, defoe

subs:

alnwick, kaboul, k walker, jenas, kranjcar, livermore, pavlyuchenko

prediction: 1-1 - crouch for spurs, fuller for stoke

[St.Helens Spurs]

------------Gomes------------
-Corluka-Dawson-Bassong-Bale-
-Niko-Kaboul-Palacios-Modric-
----Defoe------Crouch----

Cant see Kaboul playing myself. He only played against Everton because we were desperate and had no other option really after Hudd went off. He did a job for us but I did think he looked out of place. I can see your logic about Crouch but don't think it makes any sense to drop Pav when he cant stop scoring at the minute. So, unchanged side from the Blackburn game for me.

[BigDub]

Its a fair point re: Kaboul. It is just a matter of how much strength Harry will want in the MF. And against stoke I can see him wanting quite a bit. Personally I would love to see Gudjohnsen get a run out, but he's played even less than Kaboul. It might very well end up being Modric in the midfield.