Arsenal Get Booed as Spurs Draw Gains 2nd Place

This Spurs side were given the task of two forgettable Geordie teams struggling at the foot of the Premier league table and today they failed in the first of the games, as Tottenham were held to a stalemate by a Sunderland team that squeezed a point from the game.  The point however was good for Spurs because all the other teams around them dropped points thanks to the Chelsea draw against Liverpool, and then the shock win for North London club Watford against Tottenham's rivals Arsenal. 

Watford came away from the Emirates with a 2-1 win, which featured a goal and then an assist from former Tottenham players - so White Hart Lane could send their thanks because the Arsenal loss allowed Tottenham to move into 2nd place.  If Spurs fans were disappointed by today's results, it would be more than compensated by the day of Arsenal woe.  Wenger who was getting a lot of things right this season, immediately was met by a chorus of boo's and fans who lose patience very quickly.  That does not finish Arsenal's league title ambitions but it does raise more questions about their recent ability to under-perform in relation to the skill they have.

As the games finished, soccer eyes did not have time to close, because there were a couple of hours left on Transfer deadline day.   With 30 minutes left on the window before it closes, it is disappointing that Spurs seem to be true to their promise that there would be no deadline deals.  This despite the fact that Spurs fired blanks today and they do need a striker.  Spurs are going to keep faith with Vincent Janssen and that is a huge risk - especially since Pochettino ignored the sale of Saido Berahino from West Bromwich - while he would have been a great signing for Tottenham, Pochettino see's him as a potentially disrupting figure for his dressing room.  Instead Berahino moved to Stoke City - and if he finds his form there, that would have Spurs do what they have done best over decades, to dream of what could have been.

There was talk of trying to get Crystal Palace to sell Wilfred Zaha to Tottenham.  Zaha has already failed proving his vaunted potential with Manchester United and he was quickly sold back to Crystal Palace.  Palace will not want to give up players of his quality as they are in a relegation dog-fight.  So Vincent Janssen remains the role of the dice.

There are some players from Europe that are not suited to the Premier League but Janssen looked out of sorts against 2nd Division Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup.  He does have great potential, but it is an awfully big risk in a season where there is an outside chance of a league title bid.  The last time a big money signing failed, it was Roberto Soldado and he too looked out-of-sorts and suffering a severe lack of confidence.  Once Soldado came back to Spain, his scoring touch began to return - this is indicative of the extra pressure to succeed in the tougher Premier League.

The concerning story for the Premier League is the loss of players who are saying yes to crazy contracts being handed out by clubs in China.  Whereas in England there is attention to penalties on paying beyond a clubs means - the Chinese Super-league is choosing to pay insane wages.  Contacts of $3000 per week come with the expectation that these over-priced deals will be playing in an extremely noncompetitive league.   They are willing to trade in the chance to improve their skills at the highest level.  Some Spurs players have speculated about this, while others like Moussa Dembele may begin thinking of such options, if Spurs do not win anything major this year.  Whereas Spurs fans are used having long periods of not winning anything, the opposite is true of Arsenal - they demand the Title every season. and if Spurs finally finish higher than them for the first time in nearly 22 years, they want to finish above them to claim a title - and then Spurs winning the title will be much sweeter.

West Ham may have lost Payet to Marseille, but they have signed Jose Font from Southampton which is a very good move to shore up their defensive problems.  While Spurs fans would have wished that Chairman Daniel Levy organize a last minute surprise - alas there was nothing to chew on in the transfer window, and there was nothing to chew on for Spurs in the league game.

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