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  • Date:2009-02-08
  • Kick-off:13:30
  • Venue:White Hart Lane
  • Attendance:36021
  • Referee:Dean, M

Live Commentary

90mins

Full-Time: TOTTENHAM 0-0 ARSENAL. It's all over at White Hart Lane and Wenger will be the happier manager after his side played most of the match with ten men. Both sides could have won it in stoppage time but for good saves by Cudicini and Almunia.

90mins

Spurs almost win it at the death themselves as Almunia races off his line to keep out Modric.

90mins

What a save by Cudicini! It was Bendtner who let fly on the edge of the box but the former Chelsea man did brilliantly to get a hand to the ball and push it out for a corner.

87mins

Clichy has got a nasty cut on his head and is forced to leave the field. He is replaced by Gibbs.

87mins

Lennon is replaced by Taarabt.

86mins

There's a stoppage in play as Bent and Clichy get treated for head injuries.

85mins

Cudicini fumbles a cross by Bendtner but the Spurs keeper manages to gather at the second attempt.

83mins

Woodgate makes a crunching tackle on Sagna as the Arsenal full back broke into the Spurs box.

80mins

Into the final ten minutes. Can Spurs find a way through or will Arsenal hold out for a point?

80mins

Chimbonda surges into the Arsenal box but his cross-shot hits the side netting.

79mins

Van Persie plays through Bendtner but the flag's up - he's offside.

77mins

Almunia punches clear in a crowded six-yard box.

75mins

Song is forced to bring down the marauding Palacios. The former Wigan midfielder is having a great home debut.

74mins

Spurs make another change as Chimbonda comes on for Corluka.

72mins

Keane sends a dipping volley wide of Almunia's right hand post. Good effort by the Tottenham captain.

70mins

Song should have scored for Arsenal. He wriggled free from his marker but volleyed wide. A reminder for Spurs that Arsenal aren't out of this.

69mins

Assou-Ekotto slides in to give Arsenal another corner.

67mins

The ball drops for van Persie but he smashes a shot well wide of Cudicini's goal.

66mins

Corluka deflects Clichy's cross behind for a rare Arsenal corner.

65mins

Keane plays in Modric but Almunia is quick off his line to deny the midfielder.

63mins

It's Harry Redknapp who makes a substitution as Bent replaces Pavlyuchenko. Can the former Charlton man find a way through for Spurs?

62mins

Can Arsenal continue to keep Spurs out or will Arsene Wenger make changes - and maybe bring on Arshavin?

59mins

Keane almost plays in Pavlyuchenko but Toure does well to clear.

56mins

So close for Spurs as Keane sends his header just over the crossbar. It was a great cross by Lennon. It's all Spurs at the moment.

54mins

Tottenham are working hard, with Lennon chasing back to win the ball off Nasri.

52mins

Corluka has a go from the edge of the box but it's an easy save for Almunia. Spurs have got Arsenal pinned back in their own half.

51mins

Pavlyuchenko is back in the action again but he blazes wide after beating Sagna.

50mins

Pavlyuchenko takes it but shoots high and wide of the target.

49mins

Denilson brings down Pavlyuchenko. Free kick to Spurs in a central position about 35 yards from goal.

47mins

Pavlyuchenko just over-hits a cross-field pass looking for Modric.

46mins

No changes at the break as the second half gets up and running at White Hart Lane.

45mins

Half-Time: TOTTENHAM 0-0 ARSENAL. An end-to-end first half is brought to a close and Arsene Wenger will be pleased to get his team in. Spurs have been the better side and, with ten men, the visitors have plenty of work to do.

45mins

Palacios almost gives his side a half-time lead with a dipping shot that Almunia can only push over the bar.

43mins

Clichy is the next Arsenal player to be booked for a trip on Lennon.

43mins

Toure does well to block Pavlyuchenko's shot. With ten men it looks like Arsenal willl be doing plenty more of that this afternoon.

41mins

Replays show Eboue kicked out at Modric.

40mins

Song does well to hack clear Lennon's driven cross.

38mins

Bendtner comes on for the injured Adebayor. We'll just have to wait for Arshavin!

37mins

Eboue is given his second yellow card and is off! It looked like ref Mike Dean was just going to caution Modric.

37mins

Modric is booked for a tussle with Eboue.

35mins

Could Arshavin be warming up to replace the injured Arsenal striker?

34mins

Bad news for Arsenal. It looks like Adebayor has a hamstring injury. The striker pulled up as he chased a long ball out of defence.

32mins

What an end-to-end game! A mistake by Corluka lets in Clichy but his cross is just too far ahead of Adebayor.

31mins

Back come Spurs as Modric lets fly with a shot from the edge of the box that Almunia pushes out for a corner.

30mins

Cudicini again does well to push out a driven van Persie cross - and then gets to his feet to deny Adebayor.

29mins

Good chance for Lennon who nipped in ahead of Clichy but dragged his shot wide of the target.

28mins

Spurs are working hard to break up Arsenal's fluid passing game.

25mins

Woodgate manages to get his head on the ball but loops it harmlessly wide of the target.

24mins

Keane is fouled by Denilson in a dangerous area. Spurs can deliver another cross into the Arsenal box.

21mins

Spurs are on top at the moment. Arsene Wenger's side are struggling to keep the ball.

20mins

Clichy just manages to take the ball off Modric's toes as the midfielder burst into the Arsenal box.

18mins

Almunia flaps at a Spurs corner but Sagna is able to clear. It looks like the Arsenal keeper is struggling with the sun in his eyes.

16mins

Eboue is the first man into Mike Dean's notebook after arguing with the official.

15mins

Pavlyuchenko twists to blaze a shot high over the bar from Assou-Ekotto's cross. It was a difficult chance.

13mins

Eboue rams the ball home from six yards but the ref had already blown for a foul. It was Eboue who started the move by sending over a teasing low cross that Cudicini did well to palm out.

12mins

The game is settling down now after a furious early pace.

9mins

Palacios lets fly with a 25-yard strike but Almunia makes a comfortable save.

8mins

Spurs reply straight away as Lennon bursts into the Arsenal box and forces Almunia into a low save.

7mins

Van Persie plays in Eboue but he drags his shot wide of Cudicini's right-hand post.

6mins

Palacios does well to break up a move just as Arsenal begin to get their passing game going.

3mins

Spurs players and fans scream for a penalty after Keane goes down in the box. It was Gallas who appeared to kick the former Liverpool striker but the referee waves play on.

2mins

Lennon sends over a dangerous cross and Toure heads clear for a corner. Good early pressure by Spurs.

2mins

Pavlyuchenko is straight into the action, winning a free-kick for his side after being fouled by Eboue.

1mins

Both sets of supporters are in fine voice as referee Mike Dean gets the game underway at White Hart Lane.

0mins

Tottenham: Cudicini, Corluka, Dawson, Woodgate, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Jenas, Palacios, Modric, Pavlyuchenko, Keane

0mins

Keane resumes his place up front for Tottenham after returning to the club last week. He also takes the captain's armband following his short stay at Liverpool.

0mins

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Song Billong, Denilson, Nasri, Adebayor, Van Persie

0mins

Arsene Wenger resists the temptation to throw new £15million signing Arshavin into the starting line up - but the exciting Russian midfielder does make the bench.

0mins

The north London derby is one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures in the Premier League - and with new signings making their debuts for both sides, today's game should be a cracker.

Match Preview

Robbie Keane makes a sensational return to White Hart Lane for Spurs' biggest league game of the season, as a mouth-watering North-London derby pits Tottenham Hotspur against Arsenal.

The Spurs team-sheet is beginning to reek of deja-vu following the recent acquisitions of Keane, Pascal Chimbonda and Jermain Defoe, who have also been joined by Wilson Palacios and Carlo Cudicini.

While it's all smiles following Harry Redknapp's activity in the winter transfer window, Spurs lie dangerously close to the bottom of the Premier League table and will be desperate to pick up points against their bitter rivals at the Lane on Sunday.

After Keane's deadline day switch from Liverpool, the Republic of Ireland international said he was confident his side will climb up the table.

He said: "It's all very close down there at the minute and I will be doing everything in my powers to help us pull away from it."

On Sunday's game, he added: "What a game to come back into. I've played in so many derbies against Arsenal over the years and I'm so excited at the prospect of another one at White Hart Lane possibly being my first game back."

Meanwhile, Defoe will be out of action for over two months due to a stress fracture in his foot which requires surgery.

Also missing are Jamie O'Hara, Ledley King, Alan Hutton and Heurelho Gomes. David Bentley, who scored a wonderful long-range goal in the 4-4 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates in October, is suspended.

Meanwhile, there could also be a debut for Andrei Arshavin for Arsenal. The transfer saga surrounding the Russian went on until after the original deadline for deals passed, but he was still allowed to complete his long-awaited switch to the Gunners from Zenit St Petersburg.


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Match Report

Tottenham's relegation worries continued as they failed to make their extra man count after Emmanuel Eboue had been sent off for Arsenal and had to settle for a goalless draw at White Hart Lane.

Harry Redknapp's side were looking for their first league victory over their north London rivals since November 1999 and will not have a better chance after Eboue was shown a red card in the first half for two bookable offences.

Eboue can have no complaints over his dismissal after he kicked out at Luka Modric and had shown no common sense earlier in the game when he was booked for dissent.

But Arsenal showed all their fighting qualities to hold on for a point to leave Tottenham looking nervously over their shoulders at the bottom of the table.

As expected Robbie Keane made his debut for the home side as Tottenham's new captain, while Arsenal's new signing, Andrey Arshavin, had to settle for a place on the substitute's bench and Eduardo finally made a return to first-team action.

Arsenal could have broken the deadlock after just five minutes when Robin van Persie's ball picked out Eboue who burst clear into the box and fired a right-foot shot just past the post.

Eboue had the ball in the back of the Tottenham net on 13 minutes, but his effort was ruled out after referee Mike Dean adjudged the Arsenal midfielder to have fouled Jonathan Woodgate.

Modric produced a superb piece of skill on 27 minutes to pick out Aaron Lennon inside the box, but he dragged his shot wide of the goal.

Modric was involved in the heart of the action once again on the half-hour mark when he made a clever turn on the edge of the box and drilled a low shot which forced a fine save from Manuel Almunia diving low to his right.

Vedran Corluka almost gifted Arsenal the lead just 60 seconds later when he tried to let the ball run out of play. Samir Nasri refused to give up and stopped the ball crossing the line as he played the ball in to Gael Clichy.

The Arsenal defender fired the ball across goal but Carlo Cudicini just managed to stop Emmanuel Adebayor knocking the ball home.

Arsenal suffered a major blow on 34 minutes when Adebayor pulled up with a serious hamstring injury and had to be carried off on a stretcher.

Things got even worse for the away side just 60 seconds later when the game erupted into controversy when Eboue was shown a red card after kicking out at Modric.

Mike Dean had no hesitation in showing a second yellow card to the Arsenal midfielder.

Tottenham were determined to make the extra man count and came close again on the stroke of half-time when new signing Wilson Palacios fired in a blistering 25-yard shot which Almunia did well to tip over the bar.

Roman Pavlyuchenko then broke free inside the box on 49 minutes but wasted a golden opportunity by striking the ball high over the bar and his strike partner Keane went even closer seven minutes later when his header skimmed the top of the bar.

Tottenham were almost made to pay for all their missed opportunities when Alex Song came within a whisker of putting Arsenal in front.

Van Persie's cross picked out the Arsenal midfielder who was unmarked inside the box but he dragged his shot inches past the post.

Nicklas Bendtner could have grabbed a late winner for Arsenal in stoppage time but the substitute's shot was superbly tipped over the bar by Cudicini.

Modric had an even better chance seconds later when he was clean through on goal but his shot was well-saved by Almunia.

Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal

Corners

64

Fouls

1414

Goal attempts

164

Shots off target

103

Offsides

32

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