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Fulltime: Tottenham 2-1 Birmingham. The final whistle goes and Aaron Lennon's late, late strike clinches the points for Spurs after Bowyer levelled for Birmingham after Crouch put Tottenham in-front.
TOTTENHAM 2-1 BIRMINGHAM. Pavluychenko takes possession from Stephen Carr and carries the ball forward and crosses. The ball falls for LENNON who steps inside and drives it into the corner to win the game!
O'Connor wins a corner off Bassong with just a minute to go. McFadden delivers but it is headed clear with ease and Spurs maintain possession.
Gary McSheffrey comes on to replace Sebastien Larsson.
Four minutes of stoppage time.
A deep free-kick comes in from McFadden and centre-half Johnson meets it beating Crouch in the air but he heads over from six yards. He knows he should have scored.
Tom Huddlestone is booked for a late challenge.
Lee Bowyer picks the ball up on the left hand side and looks to cross towards the back post where O'Connor meets it with his head but it's just off target. Spurs are rocking at the back!
Corluka is cautioned for that foul from behind.
Birmingham have a free-kick as Benitez is brought down by Corluka on the half-way line.
Benitez picks the ball up and finds Bowyer who turns it wide into the path of McFadden. McFadden looks to cross but he miscues it towards the far corner and with Cudicini scrambling the ball just goes over the top.
Christian Benitez turns inside the box and works the ball into the path of O'Connor coming into the box but he strikes it into the side netting from close range. What a chance for O'Connor!
Defoe is withdrawn and Roman Pavluychenko enters the action to provide another target for Spurs upfront.
Jermaine Defoe is just receiving some treatment after a clash with Quedrue.
What a finish we have set up now!
TOTTENHAM 1-1 BIRMINGHAM. Commentator's curse. The ball is turned into the box by Larsson and Benitez brings it down but the ball bounces loose as Cudicini gets a hand to it but it falls for BOWYER who turns it home. Game on!
Spurs are finally in-front after dominating for the majority of the game. Can the visitors force their way back into this one?
Lee Carsley comes off to be replaced by Christian Benitez as Birmingham look for an equaliser.
TOTTENHAM 1-0 BIRMINGHAM. Tom Huddlestone delivers a free-kick won by Lennon from the right hand side. The ball is clipped over from the right and finds CROUCH who rises well to head home and give Spurs the lead.
Larsson scampers past Huddlestone and looks to find McFadden at the back post but the Scott has made the run to the near post and the cross is cleared comfortably.
Another chance for Spurs. Lennon races in behind Carr and digs out a cross to find Defoe but Parnaby makes the block and as it comes to Keane he is leaning back a fraction as he strikes it and it flies over.
Corner comes in from Lennon again and again he picks out Crouch who heads it down but once again he is denied on the line this time by Carsley.
Bowyer loses possession to Lennon and he takes it forward and plays it to Keane. Keane moves forward down the left and crosses towards Crouch and he heads goalbound but it cannons back off the bar.
Corner for Spurs and its an outswinger from Lennon and it finds Defoe who hits an acrobatic overhead kick towards goal but it flashes just over the bar. Spurs are back in the ascendancy now!
Great play from Lennon and he gets to the byline and crosses again towards Crouch and he heads down towards the bottom corner but Johnson is on the line to clear.
Birmingham must be weary of the counter-attack. Spurs have a lot of pace to break even when Birmingham are controlling the ball.
Alan Hutton finds space on the right hand side and crosses towards the head of Crouch who rises well and heads goalbound but Hart is able to turn it around the post.
Controversial moments as Wilson Palacios appears to haul down McFadden as he goes into the box but referee Walton waves away the appeals. Birmingham City are incensed!
Lennon's deep corner is headed back towards the danger area by Crouch but the Birmingham defence are able to clear the danger.
Assou-Ekotto will fancy this free-kick from around 25 yards. It's Huddlestone who strikes it but he hits the wall but wins a corner.
Carr is cautioned for that foul.
Aaron Lennon races through the centre of the park as he leads a rapid counter attack but he is brought down by Carr.
Robbie Keane shows great pace to turn away from Parnaby and get in behind before clipping the ball towards Crouch at the back post but Quedrue and Carr do enough between them to clear the danger.
Birmingham have started the second half positively. Ferguson is getting involved and trying to pull the strings for the visitors.
Luka Modric is going to be replaced as a result of that injury. Peter Crouch enters the action and that is likely to mean that Keane will now operate from a wide area.
McFadden trotts over to take the corner. He drives it in low and it comes back to him, McFadden crosses again and finds Carsley who gets his head to it but steers it wide of the target. That was a real chance for Birmingham.
Birmingham have a free-kick, 35 yards from goal out to the right hand side. Modric has injured himself in the process of making the challenge that resulted in the free-kick. McFadden will deliver - Huddlestone is forced to head it behind for a corner
The second half gets underway. Will Spurs come out and continue to dominate the play or will Birmingham be able to play their way into this match?
Changes for Spurs. Alan Hutton is coming on for Ledley King in a change that will surely see Corluka move to centre-half. King clearly having trouble with that chronic knee problem.
Halftime: Tottenham 0-0 Birmingham. Spurs have been completely dominant but for all their efforts they cannot break the dead-lock. Defoe missed the chance of the game on 22 minutes but Larsson has looked dangerous for City at times.
Larsson crosses towards O'Connor who flicks it on towards Bowyer on the edge of the box and he shoots but it is a tame effort that Cudicini gathers with ease.
Larsson looks a threat whenever Birmingham can work the ball onto the right hand side as the Swede continues to find space in between Assou-Ekotto and Bassong but as of yet he cannot take advantage of the room he is being given.
Jermaine Defoe leads a break away for Spurs as he scampers past Parnaby and races towards goal but Stephen Carr is across to cover against his old side and forces Defoe to rush the shot.
Birmingham have their first corner of the game as McFadden's cross is deflected behind. Set plays will be Birmingham's best chance of goals today. Larsson's ball in is headed away by Huddlestone at the near post.
Assou-Ekotto is being much more closely monitored now as Larsson and Parnaby look to double up on the full-back everytime he overlaps Modric. Again Assou-Ekotto is forced to turn back and find Huddlestone deep and Spurs must start again.
Spurs are just dictating the play at the moment, content to keep possession in-front of the City defence that are holding a good line and making themselves difficult to get behind.
David Bentley is warming up along the touchline and how he would love to get on and put his recent troubles behind him after being convicted of drink-driving in the week.
Superb work rate from Palacios as he chases down a loose ball and picks up possession. He turns and moves forward from midfield and he might fancy a crack from range and he does but Carsley makes the block.
Birmingham are hanging on at the moment and they need to find a way to keep possession and get support up to O'Connor because at the moment he is isolated against Bassong and King.
Birmingham are caught cold. Huddlestone finds space to pick out the run of Defoe in behind and the striker races into the box but slides it wide of the goal one-on-one with Hart. What a chance for Defoe!
Sebastien Larsson skips in behind Bassong and shoots quickly but he drags the effort just wide of the goal. Very incisive break from Birmingham but Larsson just missed the target.
Luka Modric ghosts past Parnaby and plays the ball across the box and it comes through to Lennon who shoots first time but is denied by an excellent sprawling save from Hart. Superb play but a better save!
Ledley King is a crucial player for the Spurs defence and he shows why as he moves quickly across the park to beat Bowyer to a through ball and win the home side a throw.
Aaron Lennon moves in from the right to link up with Modric and cuts inside onto his right foot and tries his luck but the shot flies into the arms of Joe Hart.
A free-kick for Spurs on the left hand side after Parnaby brought down Modric. The Croation will deliver from the flank and he whips it in towards Bassong but it just evades the head of the Frenchman. Great ball from Modric.
Tom Huddlestone comes forward from midfield picks out Assou-Ekotto with a low diagonal ball and the full-back pulls it back for Keane but the Irishman miscues the strike and it allows Quedrue to make the block.
Sebastian Larsson will have his hands full today trying to deal with the overlapping runs of Assou-Ekotto who is taking every opportunity to get beyond Modric and attack Parnaby.
Birmingham put together their first attack of note and O'Connor slides the ball into Larsson who has run in behind Assou-Ekotto and shoots but Cudicini makes a good save to deny the Swede.
A throw-in taken short to Huddlestone who turns and looks to shoot from range but Joe Hart makes a good save and holds on to the ball as it comes through the crowd.
A mistake from Larsson gifts possession to Modric who slides the ball back to Lennon who rifles a shot from the edge of the box but Joe Hart makes a superb save and Johnson clears the loose ball.
Excellent play from Tottenham as they work the ball across the back line and Bassong plays the ball into Assou-Ekotto who again links up with Modric but the return pass from the Croation is a fraction strong and runs behind for a goal-kick.
Assou-Ekotto is picked out by Palacios on the left flank and the full-back plays a neat one-two with Modric and drives the ball low across the box but Carsley clears.
Today's referee is Peter Walton and he gets us underway. Interesting note, Birmingham City have named only six substitutes from the possible seven in comparison to a Spurs bench containing the likes of Pavluychenko, Crouch, Bentley and Hutton.
Birmingham City have conceded just once in their opening three games and the defence is unchanged from the draw with Stoke. Larsson returns to a midfield that also contains Lee Carsley while Garry O'Connor is pushed upfront in place of Phillips.
Harry Redknapp has led his side to three consecutive wins to start the campaign so it is no suprise to see an unchanged side from their last league game at Upton Park. Defoe and Keane continue upfront despite midweek goals from Crouch & Pavluychenko.
Birmingham: Hart, Parnaby, Roger Johnson, Queudrue, Carr, Larsson, Ferguson, Carsley, Bowyer, McFadden, O'Connor
Tottenham: Cudicini, Corluka, King, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Huddlestone, Modric, Keane, Defoe
Hello and welcome to White Hart Lane where top of the table Spurs take on a Birmingham City side that have taken four points from their opening three games.
Tottenham Hotspur entertain Birmingham City on Saturday with the prospect of further cementing their early hold on the top of the pile after their 100 per cent start to the season. Harry Redknapp has got his Spurs side flying with an excellent win against Liverpool and a crushing victory away at Hull City. On Sunday, Spurs defeated London rivals West Ham United to show they mean business this term. With Jermain Defoe looking in predatory mood, Birmingham could struggle to keep the shackles on the diminutive livewire. He is supported by any one of Robbie Keane, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko in an impressively competitive forward line. With Aaron Lennon, the match-winning hero at Upton Park last week, finding form and Luka Modric wreaking havoc, it could be a long afternoon for the visitors. Brum boss Alex McLeish will be calling on his defensive troops to try and grab an unlikely point in the capital and it will be at the back they will look to base their performance. The Blues have only scored one goal in the Premier League to date, albeit a winner against Portsmouth, and the management will be looking to put this right at the weekend. Tottenham are without goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes (thigh), Jermaine Jenas (calf), Michael Dawson (Achilles), Gareth Bale (knee cartilage) and Jonathan Woodgate (groin), but with the strength in depth currently at White Hart Lane they should survive another weekend without their services. New Birmingham signing Christian Benitez will be expected to start producing the goods after the club shelled out a record transfer fee on him. McLeish has a worrying injury list in front of him with Cameron Jerome (ankle), Gregory Vignal (hip), Scott Dann (thigh), Marcus Bent (hamstring), Martin Taylor (foot) and Liam Ridgewell (broken leg) all notable absentees. The last time the side's met in the league was during the 2007-08 campaign and at White Hart Lane the visitors recorded an excellent 3-2 victory with Gary McSheffrey opening the scoring for the Blues. Spurs hit back through a Keane brace before Cameron Jerome hauled the scores level. In injury time Sebastian Larsson's long-range effort secured the three points in what was McLeish's first game in charge. There was more success for Birmingham at St. Andrew's in the return fixture as they cantered to a 4-1 win thanks to a Mikael Forssell hat-trick and another Larsson effort.
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Birmingham City had the early Premier League leaders begging for the final whistle before Aaron Lennon nicked a winner for Tottenham deep into stoppage time. Battling Birmingham showed all of their survival qualities to hit back from going a goal down to Peter Crouch to equalise through Lee Bowyer and should have gone on to win. But Lennon struck after four minutes of stoppage time when he drilled in a low right-foot shot that beat Joe Hart and left the Blues with nothing to show for their efforts. Tottenham were the better team but they were still fortunate to win. Lennon missed first-half chances to give Tottenham the lead and Ledley King also went close while Seb Larsson had Birmingham's best effort. England hitman Jermain Defoe, substitued late on, was guilty of the worse miss though, when he dragged a shot wide with only Hart to beat. Tottenham came out for the second half without King, who had picked up an injury and was replaced by Alan Hutton. Luka Modric jumped in for a foolish challenge on Bowyer and injured himself in the process, a minute after the restart, and ultimately had to be replaced by Crouch, who proceeded to miss five great chances in ten minutes. If ever a goal was coming it was Crouch's 72nd-minute effort that broke the deadlock and it came, of course, from a header. Tom Huddlestone delivered a high free-kick to the far post where Crouch rose supremely and nodded the ball back into the opposite corner of the net. The Tottenham fans celebrated like it was job done, but Blues boss Alex McLeish threw on Christian Benitez for Lee Carsley and Birmingham were back on level terms within three minutes. The battling Garry O'Connor forced the ball into the box and bungling defender Hutton and keeper Carlo Cudicini hesitated before the ball rebounded for Bowyer to tap in from six yards. Tottenham were rattled and were hanging on for their lives as O'Connor and then Roger Johnson missed good chances to wrap up all three points. The home fans did not know whether to laugh or cry when four minutes of stoppage time were signalled, but it ultimately worked in their favour in the final minute of play when Lennon cut in to score with a low right-foot drive. Birmingham had struggled to get close to Lennon all afternoon and so it proved again when he cut in to fire home with a right-foot shot with 94 minutes showing on the clock.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
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