Pochettino said: “It was in public, there were pictures, it’s impossible to hide”. They are no longer powder-puff, and have gained the invaluable ability to be cynical.
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With the game headed for a draw, it was Spurs Belgian midfielder Dembele who stepped up and struck an unstoppable drive into the back of the net that snatched the win. Roy Keane recalls the incident in his autobiography, insisting that while Spurs are “nice and tidy”, United could “f***ing do them”.
“I think Dembele from the beginning of this season, every time he was available he had the possibility to play”.
Andros Townsend isn’t enjoy the best of times at White Hart Lane at the moment. Not this Tottenham team.
White Hart Lane is fast becoming a fortress again. On their day, Tottenham are very good, but a hectic schedule has given rise to suggestions that Sunday will not be their day. Garde finished his playing career with Arsenal from 1996-99, taking the Lyon coaching job in 2011.
Tottenham left-back Danny Rose is expected to be available despite suffering a knock against Aston Villa.
The visitors looked no less unsafe early on, however, with bruising centre forward Stefano Okaka twice running between Tottenham’s defence in the opening four minutes, with the second occasion needing a last-ditch challenge from Jan Vertonghen to deny the finish.
This type of instinctive effort from the 22-year-old proves that his confidence has definitely returned after a sticky start to the campaign in which he netted just once in 13 games for Spurs.
All season, the average Spurs team member has been under 25 while in September the team which thrashed Manchester City 4-1 had an average age of just 24 years and 40 days.
Tottenham Hotspur FC manager Mauricio Pochettino confirmed the the news on Wednesday, and said that the player has been punished for his bad behaviour.
The test, though, comes this weekend, with Arsenal in fine domestic fettle too.
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While Arsene Wenger moans about his growing injury list, Spurs bounce with youthful exuberance into the north London derby rejuvenated despite two fierce encounters against Aston Villa and Anderlecht this week already.
