The Battle of the Lane!
posted by The Blue Devil @ 1:37 PM
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Wednesday, January 04, 2017
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
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56 Comments:
Afternoon, chaps. We're in the midst of a bloody blizzard here in WNY. So - what else is there to do but cozy up with a cuppa and a quality Premiership match on the telly. Wahay!
These two sides also have unfinished business after last season’s heartwarming Battle of Stamford Bridge. But there is also a matter of league position. Chelski have won 13 straight, so they need to be stopped if any of the wannabe clubs including Spurs are to have any chance at the title. Spurs are currently fifth and ten points back on Chelski.
The two teams now amassing in the tunnel with martial music in the background:
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-2-1) Lloris; Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen; Walker, Wanyama, Dembele, Rose; Alli, Eriksen; Kane.
Substitutes: Wimmer, Vorm, Trippier, Davies, Son, Winks, Sissoko.
Chelsea (3-4-3) Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro, Diego Costa, Hazard.
Substitutes: Begovic, Ivanovic, Zouma, Willian, Chalobah, Fabregas, Batshuayi.
It's Arlo and the Little Neviller on the microphones this afternoon.
A win tonight would also have the benefit of lifting Spurs above their cross-town rivals Arsenal into the last vaunted CL spot. Lots of incentive for Spurs to go all-out tonight.
Apparently the Spurs are marching in...and there are some in SFL who want to be in "that number."
Early foray down the wing by Dembele - couldn't quite find a decent cross though.
The Kante vs. Wanyama battle in midfield should be fascinating tonight.
Hazard almost gives Chelsea the lead. Matic lofted an angled pass over the top to Hazard, who was played onside by Vertonghen on the other side of the pitch. As the ball bounced up on the left side of the box he dragged a left-footed shot across Lloris and wide of the far post. He didn’t get hold of it properly, though it wasn’t far wide.
A lovely, elegant run from Dembele, who slips past both Kante and Matic before scooping a through pass towards Kane. Courtois gets there first to claim.
Vertonghen’s long, bouncing pass almost puts Rose through on goal. David Luiz scurries across to make a crucial interception. All Spurs at the moment.
Danny Rose buys a free kick from Martin Atkinson out wide left. Lots of boos from the Blues faithful behind that goal.
Erickson lines up the free kick....
Decent ball in but well nodded out by Sideshow.
It's all starting to get a bit testy.
Chelski have barely gotten out of their own half - this is not the display of a Premiership champion.
Really negative stuff from Conte and Chelski - playing two defensive middies and nothing up front.
Well - Costa and Pedro are having a right go at each. Extraordinary.
Oh - Erickson latched on to a loose ball in midfield and lashed a great shot across Courtois. Just wide.
The more Spurs dominate possession, the more you feel a deadly Chelsea counter-attack is coming. Chelsea can play more than one way, it’s true, but they are the masters of Contenaccio.
Moses is not happy about that chippy Danny Rose tackle.
This game is still waiting for an innocuous incident and/or a goal to spark it into life. Chelsea will be the happier team, just about.
First real chance for Chelski. Hazard found Costa in the box but he blazed over from about 15 yards.
Cahill picks up a yellow for tugging back Erickson in the most cynical fashion.
Oh - great cross to the back stick. Dier nodded back across but Courtois palmed it away.
And now it's Victor Wanyama into the book for a late one on Hazard.
Two stoppage time minutes to come then.
GOAL! Dele Alli strikes at the stroke of half-time - great goal!
Classic Premiership goal. Erickson with a quality cross and Alli with a wonderful header back across Courtois into the right corner.
1-0 Spuds!
Peep peep! Chelsea begin the second half. They have only needed to come from behind twice in this run - against City and Spurs - but teams managed by Antonio Conte will never shy away from adversity. This is a huge afternoon for the season.
Oh - great save by Lloris there from Costa's drive. Better from Chelski.
Sick of this brotherly love. What's the matter with Costa, was he gelded in September. Get. Stuck. In!!! I want a bloodbath and I want it already.
It's clear that Chelski have finally decided to play a bit of football. This should be interesting.
Welcome, Gooner! There have been a couple of tasty challenges but nothing like the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Could get interesting as Chelski get more desperate.
Harry Kane has looked like a bloody statue all evening. If Spurs had a more mobile center forward, they might be 2-0 up.
This is a furious start to the second half from Chelsea. Moses falls over in the box after a challenge from Dembele. Martin Atkinson waves play on. It was probably a foul, a shove to the side, but the original contact was outside the box.
This is the match we expected. It’s lurching from end to end now, with Chelsea looking especially menacing.
Matic tries one from distance and it never looks like coming off.
GOAL!!!!!
Delle Alli again with a header at the back post!!
Another wonderful cross by Erickson and another header down into the corner by Alli.
2-0!
No body sent off, no shoving or biffing another player. Really low energy. Sad.
Erickon to swing in another free kick. Not this time.
LOL! That is true, Gooner.
Even David Luiz pulled out of that bad tackle before it counted. So disappointing.
Twenty minutes left for Chelski to pull this one out of the ditch and retain their winning record.
Incessant pressure now from Chelski wins them a corner. And another. Spurs will need a change or two soon.
Dembele makes way for local favorite Harry Winks. Good move probably.
Fabregas being prepared to come on. Not before time!
Dier on the overlap wins a free kick.
Kante off and Fabregas on now. Boos all round for the former Arsenal man.
Lots of substitutions now. Delle Alli takes a rest. Huge ovation for him.
Batshuiyi also replaced Victor Moses.
Into stoppage time now.
Arlo is paying tribute to Antonio Conte and Chelski's winning run now.
Late, late cameo for Son, replacing Kane, who's been rubbish today.
That's it - Chelski have equaled the Premiership record but have not beaten it. Their run comes to an end here at Shite Fart Lane tonight. Spurs jump over both Arsenal and Citeh into third on 42 points, some seven points behind Chelski. Liverpool are five points back in second.
That's it for me, too, tonight.
Cheerio!
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