Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
After disappointment last weekend at the hands of Chelsea, Tottenham are given a quickfire opportunity in which to once again try and banish this Wembley Stadium hoodoo once and for all. This afternoon it is Burnley who will look to wreck any potential house warming party.
There’s something of a neat symmetry as Tottenham have lost to Chelsea already this season and Antonio Conte’s men have in turn been dealt the unwanted hand of defeat by Burnley. The opening weekend saw one of the biggest shocks we will probably see all season as Sean Dyche’s men run out 3-2 winners at Stamford Bridge.
With Burnley’s tails already up after that win at Stamford Bridge they will have identified the fact that Tottenham have failed to make their new home their own and will no doubt fancy their chances of another success in the capital this month.
Tottenham will come into this game buoyed be their performance last week but undoubtedly saddened by defeat, to lose at 1-0 to Chelsea would have been fair enough, but to then get back into the game late on and look the more likely to win the game the resulting sucker punch from Marcos Alonso would have been a tough one to take.
One that was ultimately a knockout blow, I don’t think it is a defeat defined by the stadium as it was just a league game in isolation. I think the loss boils down to the fact that you cannot legislate against a display of goalkeeping by Hugo Lloris.
The French international has made many points earning saves but unfortunately with goalkeepers it is always the mistakes that are remembered and this one will have had many fans shouting ‘Sacre Bleu’ or the stronger English equivalent last Sunday.
Tottenham have finally delved into the transfer market, like London buses you wait for one signing to arrive and then two come along at once. The arrival of Paolo Gazzinga from Southampton would have hardly been cause for celebration but the capture of Davinson Sanchez from Ajax certainly would have.
At a price of £42m there will certainly be a weight of expectation on the shoulders of the Colombian but at the same time in today’s market the outlay will not seem all that outlandish. The defender is not available today as he is yet to receive a work permit so his debut for the club will not be until after the international break.
For Burnley their opening weekend delight was tempered by a home defeat to West Brom last Saturday. Last season it was all about winning at home and not being able to buy a win bar a late season victory at Crystal Palace, this time around the early season has flipped on its head.
Was victory over Chelsea something of a opportunistic victory with Antonio Conte’s men caught napping in their defence of the Premier League title or have Burnley found something of a steely resolve on the road. This fixture will go someway to answering that question.
Last season Tottenham get the better of Burnley both home and away, a 2-1 win in December was followed in April with a 2-0 win at Turf Moor as Mauricio Pochettino’s men continued to apply that well known pressure on eventual title winners Chelsea.
Tottenham have already been dealt the group of death in the Champions League they need to make sure the stadium does not become something of a graveyard with failure to win this afternoon. Frankly I’m getting bored of talking and typing about the ‘Wembley Factor’
So with that in mind and taking the positives from last week’s defeat to Chelsea on board, I think they should have enough to get back to winning ways and make it two wins from three before the international break. A “home” win for me this afternoon.
