Roman Pavlyuchenko scores his initial and Tottenham"s second. Photograph: Nigel Roddis/Reuters
Afternoon all. So Villa have cranked up the vigour on Spurs with a resounding feat over a flattering untimely Burnley side. Can Harry Redknapp"s group respond? Well, let"s find out shall we?
The Guardian hamsters, the ones that appetite all the systems utilizing their small wheels, hold a wildcat set on during the Villa game, so I"m anticipating they"re at the behind of to work for this one. Tottenham have one win in the last six, Wigan one in the last 11. Neither side, then, is in utterly great form.
The teams are in:
Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Caldwell, Scharner, Figueroa, Thomas, Diame, McCarthy, N"Zogbia, Moreno, Rodallega. Subs: Stojkovic, Watson, Scotland, Moses, Gomez, Sinclair, Boyce.Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Dawson, King, Bale, Bentley, Huddlestone, Palacios, Kranjcar, Crouch, Defoe. Subs: Alnwick, Kaboul, Pavlyuchenko, Modric, Gudjohnsen, Bassong, Rose.Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)
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There"s a hole in my goalnet, dear Liza, dear Liza; There"s a hole in my goalnet, dear Liza, a hole. The arbitrate isn"t happy with the net at Chris Kirkland"s finish and a man armed with needle and thread has been finished with to sort a ball-sized hole nearby one of the posts.
Peep! With all nets stitched up, we"re off.
1 min: The representation looks flattering awful - boggy and bobbly.
3 min: The Guardian"s hamsters appear to have resolved their industrial brawl and are at the behind of to work (touch timber ...). Not that they"ve been overly spread out so far - zero in the approach of fireworks from presumably side.
5 min: Defoe strays offside as Dawson lofts the spin aimlessly forward. At the alternative end, McCarthy fails to find Rodallega with the Columbian flapping in to a bit of space on the left.
7 min: A hopeless, destroyed free-kick from N"Zogbia drifts apologetically out for a idea kick. The early exchanges don"t bode well. "If usually badgers and hamsters mix they could emanate a multiply of appetite producing badsters," writes Ian Copestake, not unreasonably.
9 min: It"s all unequivocally approach so far, with both teams attempting to bypass the pudding of a pitch.
11 min: "If the Guardian chose to have use of hamster appetite on ecological grounds, this was probably a mistake," writes Les Brown. "The methane they furnish will fool around massacre with tellurian warning." Crouch flicks on, Huddlestone gets a feet in his ribcage and Tottenham have a melancholy free-kick ...
12 min: ... upheld in to Defoe, but Wigan filch it clear.
14 min: A discerning free-kick has Defoe tip-toeing in to the area, but Scharner does well to retard his shot. And afterwards Bentley flicks the spin up and volleys at goal. Straight in to Kirkland"s mitts, but a decent bid all the same. Spurs unequivocally on tip here.
16 min: "I feel similar to Hannibal of the A-Team," writes George Templeton. "The initial block of the plan for Sunday, an easy 3 points for Aston Villa is complete. Now the subsequent block is going to plan with Liverpool and Manchester City perplexing to surpass each alternative for bad football and drawing. Now can Wigan spin things off by removing a outcome here and environment all up unequivocally easily for subsequent week (where Villa will win a crater and City will lose to Chelsea and Spurs will presumably pull or lose to Everton!)" If I was a Villa fan, I"d be a small endangered about Everton ...
18 min: Wigan should have a corner. But they don"t. That"s about as great as the got for them so far.
20 min: It seems I was being a small oppressive on the Guardian hamsters. It was the involuntary measure thingamabob that was causing the problems. That"s left and it should be solid sailing from here on in. I contend solid sailing, but these dual sides could do with producing a small movement or I"ll be vamping for the subsequent 70 minutes.
21 min: Lovely things from Wigan on the egde of the box, Rodallega and Moreno mixing prior to Rodallega slaps in a shot that Gomes does well to clear.
23 min: King blocks a Diame bombardment on the dilemma of the area. I"m contemptible - this is all a bit prosaic isn"t it? I used up all my "A" element on the progressing game. Anyone got a riff?
GOAL! Wigan 0-1 Tottenham (Defoe 27) A intolerable pass hands Spurs receive on halfway, Bale breaks down the left, and Defoe is usually a integrate of yards offside when he scores. The giant has had a shocker there.
28 min: Corluka wins a soft free-kick on the right. A decent on all sides ...
29 min: ... headed afar for a corner. From that Spurs dedicate a foul. "You should reinstate the complete bolshy hamster workforce with Chinese Hamsters (Cricetulus griseus), who have prehensile tails, the small frightful freaks propitious tykes," writes Poppy McNee.
31 min: Wigan have been stung by that goal, though there was unequivocally small criticism from the players. Even Defoe looked embarassed by it. "The riff you"re seeking for?" writes Ivan Victor. "Wigan"s representation is so bad it looks similar to ..."
32 min: Diame skips past a plea and pings a shot at goal. Deflected. Corner ...
33 min: ... that Gomes punches afar at knee height. Then Moreno is cruelly punished for a non-foul on Dawson.
35 min: The Guardian hamsters right afar appear to have assimilated forces with the Sky Sports squirrels - everything"s usually left grey and fuzzy. Oh, cling to on - we"re back. Bale is propitious to shun but condemnation for a studs-up thrust and Wigan sojourn on the front foot, though Diame"s cranky heads off in to the stands at the behind of the goal.
37 min: Bentley requisitioned for a bit of a zero plea - positively far less dangerous than Bale"s bid a notation or dual ago. Maybe this is the riff we instruct - where can you get a cake in Bucharest? "Surely there"s a integrate of Premier League annals up for grabs here," writes Steve Clowes in the Romanian capital. "That"s 6 for Defoe in the joining opposite Wigan and 10 in sum for Spurs. Also does any one know where i could get a cake or a sausage role. Moved here in Aug and verbalise of Wigan is creation my go by rumble again."
39 min: Wigan free-kick ... thirty yards out ...N"Zogbia lines it up ... and Defoe charges out from the wall to block. He"s righteously requisitioned and N"Zogbia has an additional possibility (the initial bid was flattering poor). The second try is no better, though.
40 min: "In reply to Poppy McNee"s 29th-minute entry, though it"s been a whilst given I"ve seen "Boogie Nights", I appear to stop that Dirk Diggler additionally had a prehensile tail," writes Mac Millings. "A discerning see at the Chinese Hamster wikipedia page seems to lend weight to that - assumingly the males have "a comparatively large scrotum"." Nice.
42 min: Moreno is dispossed - he"s looked diseased as the sole front man. Some players are usually not matched to fool around the purpose (Kalinic at Blackburn is another, I reckon). So notwithstanding enjoying a satisfactory cube of possession, Wigan have hardly in jeopardy the Spurs goal.
44 min: The officials are temperament the brunt of the fans" madness here. Scharner is the ultimate to be penalised. "Never mind the cake in Bucharest," writes Robin Hazlehurst, "it is Steve Clowes" instruct to be a sausage purpose that is intriguing. Is he a process actress who specialises in food equipment and is seeking for work, or does he usually instruct to be nibbled by a inspired dog?"
45+2 min: It"s proposed tipping it down up in Wigan. That won"t assistance the pitch.
Peep! Half-time. A sincerely forgettable half, important usually for that rick by the partner referee. Stand by for the Let"s All Chuckle at Steve Clowes" Unfortunate Homophone Half-Time Email Special.
The Let"s All Chuckle at Steve Clowes" Unfortunate Homophone Half-Time Email Special!
"Steve Clowes was after a sausage role," writes Si Williams. "Maybe he should verbalise to Dirk Diggler, he"s firm to have a small engaging people in his phone book..."
"In reply to Mr Clowes, for a cake I"d suggest a butchers, and as for a sausage role, maybe there"s one going down the internal beef theatre?" writes Sam Barritt.
"And I idea Steve Clowes has the right kind pale complexion, that will assistance him land his mental condition role," titters Poppy McNee.
The Chinese Hamster"s Relatively Large Scrotum Half-Time Email Special! "Relative to what?" wonders Tom Hopkins.
Half-time mangle headlines dept. Would it be wrong to contend a tasty cake and a jumbo sausage roll? It would positively be a distortion - I"ve given up beef for Lent (a incident that led to me eating one of the majority Guardian things possible for tea last night - beetroot and walnut houmous). A crater of tea would be the guileless answer.
Peep! Spurs, kept watchful in the sleet by their opponents for a great dual minutes, get the second half underway.
46 min: Tottenham win an early dilemma ...
47 min: ... Crouch wins it and Kirkland does well to grab on to it forward of Corluka.
48 min: McCarthy brings down Bentley, I think, for a free-kick but he"s got Scharner to censure for it. The Austrian attempted a ridiculous leap out of counterclaim and lost receive in a dangerous area. The set block comes to nothing, though.
49 min: Events have taken a unequivocally bizarre turn. "Re. Tom Hopkins," writes David Hilmy, who might be a oldster of a small sort or might simply have an diseased seductiveness in hamsters" nether regions. ""Relative" as in if you had a scrotum proportional to the hamster, you would be on feet retrograde pulling a child"s car on that your gigantic testicles would sit. But prior to you begin dreaming, note that hamster penis distance is not co-ordinate with hamster scrotum size." OK, afterwards ... Meanwhile at the DW, Defoe goes down seeking for a penalty, but he"s already had one dodgy preference currently and he"s not going to get another.
51 min: Dawson goes in to the book for clattering a Wigan player. And a depressingly informed steer for Spurs" fans - King is hobbling off after twinging something - presumably a thigh - in a challenge. Bassong replaces him.
53 min: Like a bag of misprinted Nik Naks, it"s removing great and feisty. A integrate of clomping hurdles in the Tottenham area (on Tottenham players) have the terraces on their feet and Wiley floating his whistle.
55 min: Hendry Thomas creates approach for Victor Moses, an aggressive move from Martinez. Interesting to see how the youngster gets on.
57 min: Nice things from Wigan - N"Zogbia and Melchiot mix down the right and work the spin opposite to Moses. His shot isn"t the firmest and it"s true at Gomes, but already the Latics have a small some-more oomph.
58 min: Moreno wins a dilemma ...
59 min: ... swung in by N"Zogbia, and a big scream for competition from those at the behind of the goal. None of the players went up, however, and Tottenham clear.
61 min: Superb save from Kirkland! Kranjcar feeds Defoe, he skips past Scharner, but the screw creates himself big and bats the spin away. That could"ve been curtains.
62 min: A prolonged throw causes some-more problems in the Spurs backline, but they conduct to hasten it away. Wigan have their feet on the Tottenham throat ... but they haven"t nonetheless delivered the blow. Just the sort of time, when things aren"t going your approach and you"re in the relegation scrap, that the antithesis mangle afar and measure ...
64 min: "Given that King going off harmed is, as you say, a far from surprising sight, because does "Arry demand on personification him each time he can mount unassisted?" writes Adrian Cooper. "Bassong is not some-more than able, he and Dawson were commencement to form a flattering in effect partnership. Starting King is same to observant "That"s OK, I don"t mind usually being means to have dual tactical substitutions." Oh, cling to on, "Arry does"t have tactical substitutions, does he? That would engage carrying a Plan A, let alone a Plan B." Diame goes in to the book for chopping down Kranjcar.
66 min: More decent things from the home side - finale with N"Zogbia curling a shot usually over the bar.
67 min: N"Zogbia curls a free-kick in, Tottenham clear, but it"s one-way trade at the moment.
68 min: A Croatian Switch (which sounds similar to a small sort of unpleasant MMA move, but probably isn"t): Modric on, Kranjcar off.
69 min: Modric finds Defoe twenty-two yards out. He"s got half a behind yard of space - a discerning spin and a shot squabble at idea force Kirkland to keep his wits about him.
71 min: Huddlestone is the ultimate in the book for a blatent retard on N"Zogbia. Wigan are pressing, pressing, but still Moreno hasn"t convinced.
73 min: Pavlyuchenko replaces Defoe.
74 min: Huddlestone gets a unrelenting articulate to from Alan Wiley, with substitute skipper Dawson in attendance. It wasn"t as well bad a plea all things considered, he trod on McCarthy"s feet some-more than anything. McCarthy, though, is flattering miffed - he"s usually lunged at Bentley and got himself yellow-carded.
76 min: Sinclair replaces Moreno. Another wily player - but certainly a battering impel similar to Jason Scotland would"ve been a improved bet?
78 min: Another glorious save from Kirkland. Crouch is purify by on to Modric"s pass - it"s a flattering diseased finish to be fair, but the screw still did well.
79 min: "Beetroot and Walnut houmous?" scrawls an dubious James Simkins. "Are you after Sean Ingle"s pretension of the sports department"s foodiest hack?" Nah - I can"t hold a candle to the aristocrat of the mung bean.
80 min: A hideous blunder from Gomes - fumbling McCarthy"s cross-shot - roughly allows Sinclair a shot at goal. That was similar to circuitous the time at the behind of eighteen months. Tottenham hasten clear, though.
83 min: Tottenham strike the post! A utterly pleasing move, stirred by Modric, ends with the Croatian curling a first-time shot block onto the post with Kirkland, for once, beaten.
GOAL! Wigan 0-2 Tottenham (Pavlyuchenko 84) That"s been entrance really, ever given the key of Modric. Yet again the small Croatian is involved, bowling his approach by one tackle, prior to ignoring the run of Crouch and picking usually the right pass. Pavlyuchenko, 10 yards out, creates no inapplicable designation underneath pressure
86 min: Modric unequivocally has been glorious given springing from the bench. Kranjcar is a super player too, but certainly old "Arry can"t keep Modric out of the side for most longer? "Luka Modric cut his teeth personification on loan in the Bosnian joining where this aspect would"ve been deliberate ideally playable," writes James Hallett, "so it"s no warn to see a idea entrance from one of his ambling runs, he contingency feel right at home."
88 min: "I can"t tip beetroot and walnut humus," writes Adrian Cooper, "but, in honour of the smashing Croats, I"m about to hope for pig schnitzel served with red cabbage and apple and afterwards give myself a bad mullet prior to dessert." Wigan fool around a bit of keep-ball, but, usually as they have for the prior 87 minutes, they"re struggling to have an sense on the Spurs backline.
90 min: Four mins combined time to be played.
90+2 min: So Tottenham are set to go fourth - with Manchester City and Liverpool finishing 0-0, it"s been a great day for Spurs and Villa.
GOAL! Wigan 0-3 Tottenham (Pavlyuchenko 90+3) Pavlyuchenko"s run opposite the box catches Wigan unawares from Huddlestone"s free-kick. His flicked header is well saved once again by Kirkland, but the Russian does well to crack home a tidy finish from the rebound. Redknapp over on the touchline looks somewhere in between courteous and miserable.
Peep! Peep! Peeeeep! All over. A sincerely gentle and extensive feat for Spurs, despite one sparked by a blatantly offside goal. Big hugs for Pavlyuchenko from all of his team-mates and the travelling await are chanting his name. Thanks, as ever, for all your emails folks, utterly Steve Clowes for being a great sport. Stick around on site for all today"s compare reports. G"night!
