Londonist United: Week Ten

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 184 months ago
Londonist United: Week Ten
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The travails of our fantasy football team of capital-born players. Read previous entries here.

What a difference a week makes. As of this weekend, the mantle of north London's "crisis club" has been tacked on to the team in N5. Though Spurs still reside in the gutter, they are looking toward the stars, while Arsenal's place among the celestial elite seems unsteady. The Gunners slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Stoke on Saturday, the Potters' unorthodox strategy - rely on a chap with a stupendously powerful throw-in technique - dirtying Arsenal's effete playing style and consigning the team to a third defeat in eleven League games. Last season they lost three all year.

Arsenal fans would have been equally distraught yesterday to see Tottenham once again produce the goods against a top side - they've taken five out of a possible nine against title contenders. Harry Redknapp's injection of belief and mental rigour into a naturally gifted side has produced a remarkable turnaround, and yesterday led to a stunning result at home to Liverpool, Roman Pavlyuchenko providing a hint that he can be the new goal-getting hero and helping the team eclipse the returning Robbie Keane. Spurs fans can hardly believe their luck - along with the extraordinary on-field antics and talk of a new stadium, those dour days under the quickly-forgotten Juande Ramos must seem like a particularly distressing nightmare.

Not that any of this this matters much for our Londonist United team, though the decision to retain Ledley King's services looks prescient now, the defender being present for the two clean sheets that sat either side of the match-of-the-season contender against Arsenal. Over the weekend it was our Chelsea boys who once again came good - Joe Cole, John Terry and Frank Lampard strolling their way to a total of 26 points at the expense of a ragged Sunderland outfit. Though their health on the field is assured, financially the Blues are in a precarious position: seems there's little money for new players, and redundancies for scouting staff may signal harsh times ahead for a club renowned for its wealth.

Elsewhere: a late Mido leveller saw West Ham draw at Middlesbrough - their first points in five games, but given the circumstances they could have hoped for more. Robert Green in the Irons goal has conceded in every Premier League match this season, and were it not for the dearth of London-born stoppers, we'd have dispensed with his services a long time ago. Our strikers fared no better - Carlton Cole missed the game after failing a late fitness test, while the goals have dried up for Jermain Defoe since a return to White Hart Lane was mooted - any coincidence there? Another weekend of goalless action from the pair and we'll be considering a change - after all, Darren Bent, currently warming our subs bench, looks a player reborn under Harry Redknapp.

Image by toguko via the Londonist pool

Last Updated 03 November 2008