Tottenham 3-1 QPR - Match Report
Tottenham Hotspur played some delightful football to defeat a hardworking Queen’s Park Rangers side 3-1 at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham Hotspur played some delightful football to defeat a hardworking Queens Park Rangers side 3-1 at White Hart Lane. A brace from Gareth Bale and one from Rafael van der Vaart ensured the three points for Spurs with Jay Bothroyd getting one back for QPR. The home side dominated the first half but werent nearly so comfortable in the second as the Rs battled their hardest, though it was ultimately all in vain. After defeating the mighty Chelsea in the battle of West London last Saturday, Neil Warnocks QPR marched north to do battle with King Arrys Spurs at White Hart Lane. Two wily old leaders with a thirst for power. The Super Hoops leak goals in London though, theyve conceded 14 goals whilst playing in the capital, compared to letting in just two elsewhere. Tottenham havent lost since August either a 5-1 trouncing to Man City, and they started the day in 6th position with two games in hand. A win for QPR however would see them usurp fellow upstarts Norwich (reverting back to the lacklustre medieval lingo for a second there) to sit 8th place in the Premier League. Not a bad start for a newly promoted team. Should QPR have been worried about Spurs having vanquished Chelsea just a week before? Well, yes because they were up against 9 men for most of it and still didnt look utterly convincing. Thats okay though because Heidar Helguson started up front alone in a 4-5-1 formation. Hes scored two in two to be fair, but Warnocks line-up hardly screamed confidence. DJ Campbell was still injured though, and the big Icelandic striker already has a better return than Jay Bothroyd this season. A strong back four was belied a little by Fitz Hall its always a shame when one of the players who won Rangers promotion plays ahead of one of Warnocks summer signings, but Danny Gabbidon was confined to the bench with a slight knee injury. No prizes for guessing Harry Redknapps starting eleven the only slight surprise was that Ledley King was able to start, a huge boost for the hosts. Rafael van der Vaart was out to prove he was the better free-role midfielder against Adel Taarabt who was facing his former club. Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bales pace and trickery was going to be tested, with neither Luke Young nor Armand Traore lacking in the speed department. Spurs had dropped just two points since the arrivals of Emmanuel Adebayor and Scott Parker, and all signs seemed to suggest that this record would continue at least for a little while longer. Both managers were hoping that the prematurely dark sky wasnt pathetic fallacy for the next 90 minutes, though it was likely to be for one team. QPR kicked off. A good chance fell straight to Tottenham in the opening minutes. Luka Modrics weak bobbling shot turned inadvertently into a perfect through ball for Rafael van der Vaart. He controlled it very well, and free of the last defender looked to all the world like hed simply tuck it past Paddy Kenny, but the formerly roly-poly keeper did brilliantly to turn it around the post. It was an early sign that Fitz Hall wasnt up to the task of keeping tabs on the free-scoring midfielder though. Perhaps this is why he had himself substituted in the 10th minute. Officially due to an injury of course... Well, he was injured. It may have been due to overexerting himself whilst making a clearance. Danny Gabbidon replaced him anyway like for like... Except the Welshman is a better defender. Emmanuel Adebayor should have scored from a free header, this time it was Anton Ferdinand who was napping. Gareth Bale swung in the free kick from the far left, and Adebayor jumped ridiculously high to connect. Too high if anything as he had to stoop a little to connect and it ended up dropping just wide of the right post. It was always going to be Spurs who took the lead, and what a goal it was. A long hoofed ball was nodded down to van der Vaart by Adebayor, and the Dutchman played a reverse ball to Aaron Lennon who unselfishly squared it to Gareth Bale. The winger had time to steady himself and just when it looked like he may have waited too long, fired it past Kenny into the bottom corner of the net. Pure desperation by QPR they were throwing themselves at crosses, charging down Lilywhite shirts like madmen and hurling themselves into reckless challenges, hoping against hope they wouldnt concede further. Spurs however were passing it calmly, working it into space and brushing off any stray dirt that was obscuring their nice Arial white shirts. Scott Parker was running the show, Joey Barton was meant to be the Rs equivalent I guess, or maybe its Shaun Derry? Either way neither were a patch on Parker he can do no wrong. Another home attack Kyle Walker attacked down the right, got in a low cross that was too far ahead of the Spurs attack but was cut back again by Benoit Assou-Ekotto on the other wing. Adebayor was only a couple of yards out but he couldnt get enough on it and it ended up clearing the bar by a distance. Danny Gabbidon was looking almost as poor as his crocked counterpart, though perhaps its unfair to think any centre back can handle the Spurs attack on this sort of form. 2-0 another jammy through ball, this time from Ledley King. It came of the leg of Alejandro Faurlin and went straight to the path of Rafael van der Vaart. There was nothing lucky about the finish though, the Dutchman once again showed composure and awareness to bring the ball under his rather magnificent spell, before placing it the right corner as Paddy Kenny rolled pathetically to the left. Luka Modric had a good effort, teed up by a chipped van der Vaart corner he used terrific technique to volley it goalwards but it went just wide. On a pretty irrelevant note, Ray Wilkins seems to be labouring under the false impression that swazz is a word in common use. Ive heard him break it out twice now. The Urban Dictionary suggests its a mix of swing and jazz, meaning that Ray Wilkins is cooler than any of us ever imagined. So a mere two goal deficit at half time, but QPR had managed just two shots. Shots is a little generous too, theyd gone nowhere near the target one floated effort from Adel Taarabt and it the other may have been from Derry... Tottenham were looking fantastic though, completely running the midfield, looking impenetrable at the back and their attack wasnt too bad either. HALF TIME Two admirably attacking substitutions from Neil Warnock - Jamie Mackie replaced Shaun Derry, and Jay Bothroyd came on for the thoroughly disappointing Adel Taarabt. How often do we see managers give it 10 minutes before making a change in the second half? Then again, Warnocks never been one to shy away from... Well, anything. It looked like it may have added some belief to the Rs too. Jamie Mackie chased down a long ball that looked to be lost, and indeed it was but he still put pressure on Younes Kaboul who then fell over Brad Friedel in a rather comical display before looking at Mackie as though he were a child who had ruined a calm and rather delightful tea party. Yes, thats exactly the look he gave him. Normal service was resumed minutes later though, only a great save from Paddy Kenny could deny van der Vaarts well struck volley from the edge of the area. The Irishmen was having a great game between the sticks. QPRs response was a wild effort from Jay Bothroyd that was almost impressively wide. The irrepressible Jamie Mackie then won a corner off Benoit Assou Ekotto. Hes like one of the substitutes in a kids game whos not that brilliant but tries hard nonetheless. A definite contender for the Clubman award at QPRs presentation awards. Rangers then won another corner a few minutes later. You could be forgiven for forgetting that Shaun Wright-Phillips was even on the pitch, but some great wing play allowed him to beat Assou-Ekotto and square it to Heidar Helguson whose shot deflected wide. The Super Hoops finally scored from a corner a few minutes later. It was Jay Bothroyd who got his first QPR goal by managing to nod it in from close range after Heidar Helguson had won the initial header from Joey Bartons cross. The goal had come just past the hour mark and was nothing less that the Rs deserved, Game on! It looked to all be in vain a few moments later. Rafael van der Vaarts free kick should have been easily held by Kenny but he dropped it, and Adebayor took possession, managed to get it to Bale who fired in a half volley that provoked an amazing save from Kenny, what a way to make up for an error. You cant stop the Welshman though, a fantastic goal followed from Redknapps men, some lovely football culminated in a one-two between Aaron Lennon and Bale, and the latter curled it past Kenny and into the top corner. For all their winning of corners and hard graft the Super Hoops dont have that clinical edge that Spurs have in abundance. Luka Modric tripped Helguson and Howard Webb awarded the free kick. Faurlin stepped up to take it, but curled it just over the bar. Adel Taarabt was off but QPR still showed some flair, Jay Bothroyds neat Maradona turn beat Scott Parker and Younes Kaboul, but his pass to Wright-Phillips was a touch too long. Jamie Mackie then went on a mazy run, feinting and turning before laying it off for Wright-Phillips who attempted to bend it into the top corner á la Bale, but messed it up. QPR then almost had one from yet another corner; it was cleared off the line by Bale after Helguson had won the header. Theres no way I can describe everything that happened in the box as Mackie then miscontrolled when he had almost an entire goal to aim at. So a 3-1 win for Spurs and they are looking very promising though if QPR can replicate their second half performance they shouldnt do too badly. Referee: Howard Webb Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-1-1): Friedel, Walker, King, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Parker (Sandro, 86), Modric, Bale, van der Vaart, Adebayor Queens Park Rangers (4-5-1): Kenny, Young, Ferdinand, Hall (Gabbidon, 10), Traore, Barton, Derry (Mackie, 45), Taarabt (Bothroyd, 45), Faurlin, Wright-Phillips, Helguson