City’s substitutions were very different. We were left wondering why their manager Mark Hughes took an hour before replacing the ineffective Felipe Caicedo, an ineffective single spearhead, replacing him with a two-man attack in Valeri Bojinov and Benjani. This produced an equaliser and could very well have gone on to win the game. Bojinov, who had scored four minutes after coming on, fired in a fulminating drive from the right on 77 minutes that had Tottenham’s Brazilian keeper, Heurelho Gomes, diving full length to make a spectacular save. In the 90th minute, Benjani headed not far over the bar.Ian Ridley, Mail on Sunday
You could only sympathise with Given as he was left to wonder how Jermaine Jenas could pick out Huddlestone so easily wide on the right, how nobody cut out the low cross and how Richard Dunne was left standing by Defoe.
His side lame in attack with Robinho injured, Hughes took action early in the second half by bringing on strikers Bojinov and Benjani and, coupled with Spurs losing Jonathan Woodgate and Jenas to injury, the game quickly changed.
John Ley, Sunday Telegraph
Spurs dominated the first half with only Given standing between them and an embarrassing half time score. He denied Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Ledley King before Defoe broke the deadlock. Tom Huddlestone delivered the crucial ball and Defoe, with his back to goal, back-healed beyond Given.
David Hytner, The Observer
The result was just about deserved, given Tottenham's first-half domination, but it felt like rough justice for City, who had dragged themselves off the canvas to level through the substitute Valeri Bojinov. They almost snatched a draw at the death only for another substitute, Benjani, to head wastefully over from close range. For City, watched by the club's chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the result ended their own hopes of European qualification. Mark Hughes, the manager, clings to his job.
No comments:
Post a Comment