Woolwich Wanderers (Away) 24.09.2023

Lining up with Brennan Johnson in place of Manor Solomon as the only change from last week’s home match against Sheffield United, Spurs faced a Woolwich side sitting a couple of places below them in the league table.

After Micky van de Ven and Jesus were left limping following tackles in the first few minutes, Johnson had the first shot of the match being deflected over the bar for a corner. It was headed out to Bissouma, who dragged a shot left and Heung-Min Son poked it into the net from close range but was a long way offside. Too many stoppages for little fouls stopped any flow to the game early on, with Spurs looking happy to play the ball around at the back, were getting caught on the ball. When Bissouma was robbed, it led to Jesus having a shot from their left of the goal, but with the ball being hit into the ground, Vicario dived up to push the ball wide of the other side of the goal.

Guglielmo was in action again when Udogie played a loose pass back into the Spurs box and Nketiah was in on their right, shooting from a narrow angle, with Vicario blocking the effort with his legs. Destiny was a little rattled as he had just got booked for going through Saka and Odegaard got a yellow for waving an imaginary one.  Spurs eventually managed to get forward in the 19th minute and Porro drove a low ball across the area that was
cleared to Pape Matar Sarr outside the box, but he slipped as he shot and the boot skewed off his boot well wide.  Viera dragged back Maddison and Spurs had a central free-kick 35 yards out, that was headed out for Sarr to slice a shot way over the other side of the pitch, but we managed to keep the ball, although it didn’t amount to anything.  The home team broke away and Saka came inside from the right hand side of the box to shoot, with the ball coming off Romero’s knee, leaving Vicario diving the wrong way to divert the ball into the net.

The pressure had been on the Spurs defence, so it was something that had been building, with a quick attack bringing a well-read chest behind to see out a cross to the far post by Micky van de Ven. It was more dangerous when Spurs tried to play out from a goal-kick when Maddison had the ball won off him on the 18-yard line and Jesus blazed it wildly over the bar when all he had to do was get it on target.

Spurs were giving too much space to the opposition and were not getting Brennan Johnson in the game, with not enough urgency being shown to win the ball off their players. Getting caught by their press was a result of slow distribution when on the ball by not enough movement off it.  36 minutes was on the clock when Odegaard tried his luck from 20 yards, but Vicario fielded it easily, but Spurs had a better chance a minute later.  Kulusevski went down the right, moved it on for the over-lapping Son to pull the ball back into the middle for Johnson, whose shot looked in until Raya reached to his right to push the ball away. Unfortunately, Brennan didn’t get a clean contact on the shot, but the keeper moved his feet quickly to get across to make the save.

Maddison sent a Hail Mary pass down the right for Kulusevski to chase and he got there ahead of Saliba.  He played it outside him to Sarr, whose high, long cross had Raya back-peddling to push the ball out as he thought it was going to drop in at the far post. Johnson seized on it and shot, with the keeper saving it and the new striker kept it alive, then Udogie challenged to head it to Maddison on the left. He rolled Saka and just got to the ball inside the penalty area before it went off, pulling it back to the near post for Son to come across Gabriel and between Rice and Saliba to turn the ball in with his left foot off the far post for the equaliser.

Udogie had his foot stamped on by White, but the referee allowed play to continue that resulted in a booking for Sarr and one for Bissouma for dissent. Nothing for White, so it seemed like we had another ‘homer’ given an important match.

The first half had been mostly the Gooners until the last 15 minutes, when Spurs got their act together and started to threaten the home goal.

Viera and Rice were taken off at the interval, with Havertz and Jorginho replacing them. Spurs looked long early in the second half, with Romero playing a lofted ball over the home defence with Maddison making the run into the area, but he just failed to reach it. A corner was won at the other end and from it White’s shot went into the ground and bounced up to hit Romero’s hand, with a follow up shot being stopped before the ball went away for a corner. VAR looked at it and the referee went to look at it, because the VAR officials aren’t brave enough to make a decision, so leave it to the man in the middle to give it. It is a waste of time referees going to the monitor as everyone knows what is going to happen. So, an own goal and now a penalty. It is always the same at the Emirates.

Jorginho lost the ball to James Maddison as he dwelt on the ball on the edge of the centre circle in his own half and James slipped it to his right for Heung-Min Son to slid it past Raya’s right to find the bottom corner. It was an immediate response to the penalty and Maddison did well to win the ball and was composed enough to play the ball to allow Son to be able to shoot first time.

Johnson pulled up when White ran past him with the ball, feeling his hamstring, so Manor Solomon made his entry into the game. It was a frenetic piece of action that flowed with both teams turning over the ball, with Yves playing the ball wide for Maddison to run forward, exchange passes with Son and then shoot way, way over the top.

Nketiah hit Vicario very late after the Spurs keeper played the ball away and received a yellow card when it deserved a lot more. Things were getting feisty with Jorginho dragging Maddison’s leg back when he was tackled and leaving him on the floor in pain. Play went on and Kulusevski played a great reverse pass that set Son into space in the box, firing a shot from a narrow angle into the side-netting. James managed to have some treatment and try to play on.

Spurs were playing fast and loose at the back, but they beat the press and worked the ball up to Kulusevski, who played it on to Porro, whose low cross was cut out by Gabriel. Before the corner could be taken there was a yellow card for Cristian Romero for some tussling in the goalmouth. Surprisingly, when it was cleared, Jorginho didn’t get booked for wanting a yellow card for Sarr’s foul.

The game was getting strung out a bit, with space appearing for both teams, so, Ange brought on Richarlison for Son and Hojbjerg for James Maddison, as the home side took off Jesus with Nelson coming on. Losing Maddison was a blow, with his creativity always a threat and with Richi having a great last few minutes last week, his energy was be useful in the last fifteen (plus) minutes.

Arsenal had a corner that squeezed across the face of goal and off for a corner the other side off van de Ven at the far post, but no red shirt was there to finish it. Substitute Havertz hammered a shot very wide and high, way before the fourth official put up 10 added minutes.

Saka hit a shot from just outside the D when a corner was cleared, but Vicario dived to his right to push it wide at the foot of his post. It came amidst a flurry of corners, with Vicario grabbing the last one at the second attempt.  Bissouma did really well to shoulder Havertz off the ball and let it run out for a goal-kick as Porro’s pass was picked off. Richarlison then received the ball in the opposition box from Kulusevski and turned to shoot, but Saliba blocked it, then the Brazilian striker had another shot that took a deflection off a defender, with the ball spinning high into the air with Raya claiming it under his crossbar.

Skid-Row came on for them near the end and the referee was doing everything he could to hand them the game with a free kick when Romero won a header and Nketiah bumped into him. Spurs went looking for a winner and Richarlison side-footed a shot at goal that took a touch off Jorginho’s foot to deflect it wide.

For all Paul Merson’s muddle-headed nonsense about the Goons thrashing us, why anyone gives this person any oxygen, I can’t think.  He must be feeling crushed that his team were so ordinary.  Saka went missing after he forced the first goal and when Jesus missed his great chance, they started to stop believing they could do it.  A penalty set us back, but Maddison’s energy and great weight of pass paved the way for Sonny to slot the equaliser.  After that, it was probably Spurs who were more likely to get something more out of the game.

While the Tottenham formation changed and Udogie wasn’t as attacking as normal to guard against the opponent way of playing, from 30 minutes into the game, Spurs were imposing their style on the South Londoners.  In previous years, the game may have gone differently after going behind twice, but this team is made of sterner stuff.  To come away feeling disappointed shows how much expectation Ange has given the fans already.  To keep going and have the best chance to win it shows that the side is full of belief that their way is the right way.

A point better than last year from the corresponding fixture, but to go there and silence their trumped-up support, with all their flags and banners, gives great hope for the future.

Sterling Performance

• Heung-Min Son scores his 150th Spurs goal.