Woolwich Wanderers (Home) 22.02.2026

30 seconds in, Micky van de Ven slid in on Saka to win the ball, which would hopefully set the tone for this Spurs performance but three minutes later, Radu Dragusin was well placed to block a free header from Gyokeres inside the six yard box.  He coolly took the ball on his thigh and then volleyed it away.  A long ball (which they played a lot of) from Raya went straight down the middle and dissected Dragusin and van de Ven which forced Guglielmo Vicario to come 30 yards out to dive headlong to head the ball away, but only to Trossard, who tried to fire it back on goal from 35 yards out.  Micky was recovering his position, as was Vicario to his right, but Radu had read the situation to get back on the line to cover and he headed it for van de Ven to clear.

Gykoeres took on Dragusin on coming into the box on their left and hitting a low effort that whizzed past the far post as it failed to bend enough.  At this point in the game, the game stopped.  For what nobody bothered to tell us in the stadium while the referee was happy to tell the players, but it was apparently the communications between the officials that failed.  How did they ever manage in the old days when they didn’t have ear-pieces and microphones ?  There was a man in front of the East Stand with his laptop who had to tend to the linesman as the break in play stretched to five minutes, as players were given additional footballs to kick about and keep warmed up.  When play did get underway, Palhinha hit a forward pass that Randal Kolo Muani did well to flick on for Xavi Simons, despite being pulled all over the place by Gabriel.  The return ball was just a little too far ahead of Randal.

Woolwich looked to move into the box, but Dragusin made a fine sliding tackle to win the ball.  They had a corner that was played beyond the far post for Gykores, whose header back into the goalmouth was aimed at Saliba, who stooped down and headed wide.  Xavi then presented the ball to Trossard 25 yards out and his shot was high into the South Stand, while at the other end, A block tackle by Spurs sent the ball spinning towards the Woolwich penalty area with Conor Gallagher looking to seize on it, but Raya rushed out of his box to clear.  Archie Gray was forced to leave the pitch by the referee to have a nose bleed treated thanks to Gyokeres’ elbow smacking him in the face, leaving an already depleted Spurs team with 10 players missing another man short.

Pape Matar Sarr had a shot blocked by Gabriel before a long ball forward saw Gykores whingeing that Dragusin was too physical for him, which Djed Spence was when Saka hit the deck, but the ball had got away from him and he ‘won’ the free-kick from the weak referee.  It took until the 24th minute for Spurs to get a free-kick when Bissouma was bundled to the ground, but being deep in the Spurs half it was an uncontroversial decision to make.  Another long ball forward looked like it might cause some confusion between Dragusin and Vicario, but the keeper called and cleared away ten yards outside his area.     

If this is the quality of the new linesmen in the Premier League, it is going to be a nightmare in years to come.  Dragusin played the ball forward, but it went off Trossard.  The linesman flagged for a Woolwich throw and being on that side less than 30 yards away failed to notice that.  The referee actually got this one right, but once more it was an inconsequential decision in the bigger scheme of things and it would have been nice if he had read the game better in crucial moments.  When Timber passed the ball straight to Pape just inside the Woolwich half, the Spurs midfielder was moving forward when Timber judo threw him to the ground from behind and got a yellow card.  It was a shame that the linesman and referee weren’t working in tandem when Kolo Muani turned Gabriel and was pulled back for a foul as the Woolwich defender threw himself to the ground as his momentum from hanging on to the Spurs striker put him off balance.  It had actually been Gabriel who had been pulling Randal’s shirt before being shrugged off, but they got the free-kick of course, otherwise Kolo Muani would have been through on Raya.

It proved to be a double whammy, as not only were we deprived a goal-scoring opportunity, but we then went behind when play restarted.  The ball was played to their right, where Spence tackled Saka, who was just backing into him and when it was thrown to Zubimendi, he hoicked the ball high into the air into the middle of the box and when it dropped, Palhinha headed away.  The next phase of play saw Timber play the ball down the line to Saka, where Pape tackled him, but the ball ran for the Woolwich winger, whose cross was pulled back for Eze who mis-controlled it but the ball popped up favourably for him to volley past Vicario.

When the match restarted (nearly two minutes after the ball crossed the line) the ball was played down into the left-hand corner, where Rice was in possession until Kolo Muani took the ball off him, drove into the penalty area and drove the ball under Raya’s dive to his left to equalise within 42 seconds of the kick off.  Arteta was moaning to the fourth official, about what I don’t know.  The fact that Rice was too easily dispossessed ?  Whatever, the referee waved a yellow card at Archie, just because there was nothing he could do to disallow the goal I suppose.

Another ball down the middle cut through Spurs and Saka was in on goal, but Vic was out to him quickly and blocked his shot.  Five minutes before half time, the ball was in the Spurs box again and Trossard’s low shot on the turn caught Bissouma’s heel and that was just enough to take the ball wide of Vicario’s right hand post.  Spurs had a couple of long throws and a corner, from which the big screen showed Timber pulling van de Ven’s shirt even before the corner was taken, but it wasn’t on a big enough screen for the referee to notice.  Gyokeres was waving his hands at the referee wanting a free-kick when Dragusin but why he wasn’t booked for dissent only the referee knows and only he knows why when Gabriel took Kolo Muani out (again) when he would have been through with no intent to go for the ball or even look at it why he didn’t make a decision.  The level of refereeing is getting so poor in the top flight that something needs to be done.  Whether it is unconscious bias or just sheer ineptitude, it is affecting results.  If he thought that Randal wasn’t going to reach the ball, then that makes Gabriel’s actions even worse, but not a free-kick nor a yellow card was given.  It makes me despair when we show a little aggression we get penalised or booked and when they do it, it is allowed to go unpunished.  I can only imagine that Romero would have been sent off for it.  It is a complete joke that the referee and the lineman who was up with play failed to see anything amiss with what was nothing to do with a tackle. 

A corner in the eight minutes of added time for Woolwich saw Saliba pulling his own shirt in the box as the ball came in !  Spurs navigated the final minutes without too much worry, but when our players were attempting to clear out of the area, the number of times they were impeded playing the ball without any intervention from the referee were numerous and that only allowed the pressure to build on our defence.

It was a solid half, in which we were under pressure a lot of the time, but stood strong at the back,  Perhaps being a little fortunate at tomes, but not as lucky as Woolwich who were allowed to escape with eleven men thanks to one bizarre refereeing decision, but don’t worry folks, there were more to come.

It was evident in the first half that Gallagher was struggling to keep his energy levels up, which was a surprise, as he used to keep going for 90 minutes when he played for Chelsea and had been working under Simeone at Atletico, with the manager known for working his players hard.

The second half didn’t start – with the match officials pending half-time discussing how they could mess Spurs up, but forgetting that their communications didn’t work AGAIN !  A massive hold up with al the players ready to start and then the linesman who had come over to the East Stand side to get the technician to put it right had a stroll onto the pitch with no hurrying, then broke into the lightest jog imaginable to reach the other side of the pitch.  The highest accolade that you could give this set of officials is a total catastrophe.  They should really be apologising to the fans if this is what we pay our money to have to put up with.

When we were finally allowed to watch some football rather than shoddy Tech Support, we wished that we could have had more communication based activity to be watching.  Xavi tested Raya making him produce a save to a shot from outside the box inside the first 20 seconds of the half, but a minute and ahlf into the half, Gyokeres hit a shot past Vicario’s dive to the left when he found himself clear in the D.

The referee wasn’t watching play and Timber bundled Xavi over off the ball and on a yellow card, it could easily have been worse if Bankes had been paying attention, he then let play go on when Radu wad holding Gyokeres as the game descended into anarchy.  Van de Ven blocked an Eze shot and then Conor Gallagher’s deflected cross flew up into the cross, where Kolo Muani touched Gabriel’s back and the defender did a swan dive but Randal took the ball down and drove it past Raya.  Perhaps we should not have been surprised when Bankes gave a foul, when he had been letting pushes much worse than this go all over the pitch.  This high bar for offences in the penalty area is rubbish.  In the laws of the game, a foul is a foul and the freedom of the officials’ interpretation can never be consistent and there is no reason why it should be different in the penalty area.  The another thing the authorities need to do is cut out shirt-pulling.  There is no reason why players should pull shirts and they just need to start punishing it to cut it out altogether.

When Xavi ran into Rice, the referee played no, but when Trossard threw himself to the ground to Archie Gray coming in behind him, the referee was conned AGAIN.  Either side of that Vicario made saves from a far post volley from Gyokeres and then one from Saka as Dragusin tackled him, while the Goons had taken off Timber before he got sent off.  On the hour, Saka went through and Vicario made a good save, but the ball came out, bounced off Palhinha straight into the path of Eze who put the ball away.

When Gabriel decided to hold the ball int he corner, Richarlison, who had just come on, stood his ground and the ball went off the Woolwich defender right in front of the linesman.  Decision … Goal kick.  Wrong AGAIN.

Trossard and Saka shot wide, then, with seven minutes left, Spence beat Hincapie inside the right side of the box and his low ball into the six yard box was back-heeled by Richarlison and went through Raya’s legs before he recovered to claw the ball off the goal-line.  Gyokeres went down easy for a big lump when challenged by Radu and Bissouma (like many in the crowd) couldn’t believe it, jumping up and down in frustration and getting a yellow card for it.  It was a prime example of the referee being conned AGAIN.

When Saka was all over the back of Simons as he ran towards the box the referee actually gave a foul, but when Richi tried to take it quickly, he pulled the play back denying any advantage we might have as Saka had injured HIMSELF in making the foul.  Let’s hope that it is serious.  Because he was subbed after treatment, it meant the Gooners were able to get a player on to replace him and set up to defend the free-kick.  When Spurs lost the ball inside their own half 40 yards out, it was moved to Odergaard and onto Gyokeres, who couldn’t be tackled by Gray, as he was on the wrong side of the striker and he curled the ball past Vicario from 10 yards out to seal their victory.

Mathys Tel had tried to make something happen down the left and his ball inside came off a Woolwich player into Pape and his dipping shot from 20 yards was saved by Raya and that was about it.

The best part of the afternoon was the warm welcome that Dele Alli got when he came out at half-time.  HIs words were emotional and he obviously felt home and loved to be back, with many fans before the game seeking photos with the ex-Spurs midfielder.  He’s been through some tough times and I only hope that he can find calmness and happiness in his life as that is what he deserves.  Watching the fantastic goals he scored for Tottenham up on the big screen, you could tell that he enjoyed that and while he said that the way he played was all instinct, he was underplaying the genius he had in his boots and his mind when he wore the Lilywhite shirt.

I fail to see why referees don’t do more about defenders holding (and being all over) forwards.  Dragusin was doing it to a certain extent with Gykores, but Saliba and Gabriel don’t seem to be able to defend without holding or shirt pulling but seemed to get away with it the whole game.  For a foul to be given against Lolo Muani when it looked as though he had equalised was a joke.  Also, Archie Gray received a yellow card for excessive goal celebration while Eze was allowed to remain in front of the Spurs fans giving it large for 90 seconds to TV cameramen on the pitch (when was that allowed ?) without any punishment.  You can go back down the years to pick out decisions that have gone against us – even when Simon Davies was sent off early at Highbury only to have the red card rescinded, but by that time the loss had happened and you can’t get that back.  Referees fall for the falls of the Woolwich players and the “Same old XXXXXXX always cheating” runs as true today as it ever did.  Raya elaborate backflip when challenged by was a prime example.  Just get up and play on, as most of the Spurs section of the crowd knew what he was doing, but Bankes was among the minority who gave him what he wanted.

It wasn’t even the big decisions he shied away from, but his inconsistency biasing the away team continued with Tottenham being told exactly where to take throw-ins from, while when it came to the visitors, he told them and then let them move 20 yards up the pitch before releasing the ball.  Even that well-known wanderer Arteta was given free rein to leave his technical area, while the fourth official was on Tudor all the time if he strayed outside his. 

One brilliant moment came in the first half when the ball went out of play on the West Stand side and the ball-boy retrieved it.  Timber wanted the ball from him, but was rightly told to pick one up off the cone, as is the protocol these days.  Not only that but then the ball-boy geed up the Spurs fans who responded in kind.

Tottenham’s pressing wasn’t co-ordinated and allowed Woolwich to play out too easily, with Spurs players standing off shots form outside the box as has been the case all season.  Our crossing was poor today, with most of them ending up in the keeper’s hands and that turned the ball over too many times.  There is one ingredient that Woolwich had over Spurs and that was winning free-kicks.  Sometimes, our players don’t exaggerate fouls and contact to fool the referee (who generally are easily fooled) to win decisions.  I call it cheating, some call it gamesmanship, but it equates to the same thing, winning an unfair advantage.  Match officials don’t see it and even though seeking to deceive the referee is an offence in the laws of the game, it is rarely spotted or penalised.  Most people who have played the game realise when players are making more of any contact, although it wouldn’t be much use us doing it as we don’t get free-kicks anyway.

A more determined performance and while we were comprehensively beaten, the one moment of madness from the officials denied us bringing the score back to 2-2 and after losing a two goal lead in midweek, it might just have put doubts into the Woolwich minds.  As it was, not expecting to get mush out of the match, we now move on in our search for a few wins to get the points we need to avoid getting pulled further down the table.

• Interim Head Coach Igor Tudor takes charge of the team for the first time.