Today I'm going back 17 years to 2004 and Tottenham's home game against Arsenal in the Premier League. I don't often favour Arsenal victories as my memorable match of the day but I make an exception for this one because it was a genuine classic.
The programme cover star is, of course, Ledley King, a fans favourite at Spurs and somebody who would surely have won many more England caps than the 21 that he did win but for his highly suspect knees that meant he hardly trained in the latter part of his career. Ledley is a true cockney having been born in Bow (and therefore within the sound of the Bow bells) of Antiguan descent. As a youth he played for the highly acclaimed Sunday League side known as Senrab who play on Wanstead Flats and who are famous for the number of players who went on to become professionals. The list includes, but is by no means limited to, John Terry, Ray Wilkins, Alan Curbishley, Ugo Ehiogu, Lee Bowyer, Sol Campbell, Jermain Defoe, Paul Konchesky and Bobby Zamora. King joined the staff at Tottenham in 1996 and made his first team debut in 1999 aged 19. going on to make 323 appearances for the club before succumbing to his knee difficulties in 2012. Unusually these days he was a one club player.
In the featured game, first blood went to Spurs thanks to a goal from the Moroccan Noureddine Naybet after 36 minutes. It was his one and only Premier League goal. Sadly Martin Jol's Spurs couldn't go in at half time with the lead. This was down to Thierry Henri who grabbed an equaliser in first half stoppage time. 1-1 at the break and we had had little clue as to what was to come in the second period. Ten minutes into the second half and an Arsenal penalty was coolly dispatched by the Cameroonian Lauren to give them the lead for the first time. It was a lead that Arsenal would not relinquish. 1-2 became 1-3 five minutes later as Patrick Viera scored but Spurs weren't finished and Jermain Defoe made it 2-3 a minute later with a sensational goal. In the 69th minute Arsenal had a fourth with Freddie Ljungberg scoring but still Spurs weren't finished. The next scorer? Ledley King grabbed a headed collectors item: one of just 14 goals for the club. The score was now 3-4 with 17 minutes left to play. Arsenal then scored their fifth and what proved to be the winner courtesy of Robert Pires from the narrowest of angles but there was still time for Spurs to make it a tense finish with yet another goal, this time from Freddie Kanoute. I remember shouting myself hoarse in those final few minutes, desperate for an equaliser. Sadly it was not to be, but what a game! The win took Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League.
Spurs finished the season in ninth place in the Premier League, a long way behind Arsenal who would go on to finish as runners up to Champions Chelsea.
CRB Match No. 1402
Comments
Post a Comment