English Premier
2012-03-21 - Tottenham Hotspur vs Stoke City
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Wednesday 21 March 2012 - Kick Off 7:45pm
Tottenham Hotspur
After the situation at White Hart Lane on Saturday, it will be no surprise if Tottenham Hotspur has been a flat place for a few days, although they do have to get focused with the potential Champions League place under threat. They will be hoping to increase their lead over 5th placed Chelsea who visit Manchester City on the same evening, especially with the clash between the sides coming up on Saturday lunchtime.
It looked like Tottenham were in a very strong position in relation to the Champions League a few weeks ago, particularly when they took a 0-2 lead at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal, but a collapse in that game and two other consecutive losses has seen their position in 3rd come under threat. Spurs are 10-2-2 at White Hart Lane this season, scoring 30 goals and only conceding 13.
3 defeats in a row in the Premier League has seen confidence at White Hart Lane drop to the lowest levels this season, with these defeats coinciding with suggestions that Harry Redknapp will be leaving the club to take over as England manager. Spurs have won 3 of their last 4 home games in all competitions and 6 of their last 8, although they were beaten 1-3 by Manchester United in their last League game here.
Emmanuel Adebayor and Ledley King are both doubts for this game, while Harry Redknapp has said any player can withdraw from the squad for this game following events here on Saturday evening.
Stoke City
Stoke City exited the last Cup competition they had entered this season over the weekend and their sole ambition now is to finish in the top half of the Premier League, surpassing their best League finish since 1975 if they can do so. This will be some achievement considering the huge number of games the team has had to play this season with participation in the Europa League as well as Cup runs in the Carling and FA Cup.
The team fell down to 14th in the League table following results in the last few days, but they are amongst a host of clubs that have picked up 36 points so far this season. A win for the Potters could see them move as high as 9th in the table, something that is possible with their 4-2-8 away record so far. However, Stoke have scored just 9 goals while conceding 25 in those 14 away games, which does make it a little remarkable that they have won 4 games.
Stoke have gone 3-0-7 in their last 10 games in all competitions, although they did arrest a dangerous slide down the table with back to back League wins recently. They have struggled away from home in particular, losing 5 of their last 6 on their travels in all competitions, including their last 3. The team have scored just 1 goal in their last 4 away games in the Premier League.
Ricardo Fuller is suspended for the second of his three game ban, while Asmir Begovic is likely to be restored in goal in favour of Thomas Sorenson who played at Liverpool in the Cup over the weekend.
Head to Head
Stoke have beaten Tottenham Hotspur on two occasions this season: they won a Carling Cup tie on a penalty shoot-out, while also beating Spurs 2-1 at the Brittania Stadium in the League.
Tottenham have won 2 of the 3 home games they have played against Stoke City in the Premier League, although the other was a 0-1 win for the Potters.
Spurs won this corresponding fixture 3-2 last season.
Prediction
My biggest problem in this game is how the Tottenham Hotspur's players will respond to what happened to Fabrice Muamba in their last game on Saturday and whether they are mentally ready for a League game they have to win.
Harry Redknapp has said that anyone who feels they are not ready will be excused from the game, but I think the players will want to get on with their business and try to get back into the Champions League, especially with the latest news being that Muamba has been showing good signs for recovery.
Stoke will have their own issues to deal with, even if they are comparably less than the Spurs players, as they exited the last competition they could have won this season and they are already likely to be safe from any relegation worries.
I can see this being a fairly tight game as both sides could be mentally focused on other issues and both have big games on deck against Chelsea and Manchester City over the weekend.
However, I think Stoke's lack of goals away from home is going to be a hindrance for them, especially at grounds like this one where Tottenham have been fairly solid defensively for most of the year.
With that in mind, I am looking for Spurs to get back to basics and make it tough on their opponents by limiting their possession and getting back to keeping clean sheets at home. The Spurs win to nil has been offered at 2.50 at Ladbrokes, and that looks worth chancing.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Stoke City
