Ilya Zakharov
UNEXPECTED INTrigue
Tottenham Hotspur - Middlesbrough. It is not possible to find among the postponed matches a game that claims to be the main one. In England, the middle peasants and outsiders will perform in the middle of the week, only Reading, which occupies the sixth place, stands out from the crowd. We are waiting for the confrontation of not the most popular teams, rightly ignored by Russian television, which will focus on the decisive matches of the group stage of the Champions League. Against this background, the confrontation between Tottenham Hotspur and Middlesbrough looks like a real gift. Boro remains on the list of five glorious clubs that still have not won away this season. Tottenham Hotspur is in creative zero gravity. After last year’s successful season, Spurs are looking for themselves, their game and inspiration. So far it’s not very good. Whose drawbacks are weaker than intrigue for those who prefer the Premier League to the Champions League?
IMPORTANT WORDS
“I will have to pause the game, as it was after the match of the French national team in Dublin last season, when I injured the Achilles tendon. However, this time the break may be delayed. The pain has been haunting me for two or three months now, and their cause is the sciatic nerve. I need to say “stop” to myself and stop for a month, or maybe one and a half. It takes a lot of time for the pain to go away. After 60 matches in 2006, the body says: “Enough!” We have to reckon with it, ”- Thierry Henry in an interview with L ' Equipe.
BEAUTIFUL NUMBERS
At the gate of Blackburn this season was awarded 7 penalties - the first indicator among all the clubs in the league.
CHARLTON - BLACKBURN
December 5th . The Walley, 23.00.
Judge : Chris Foy (Merseyside).
Injuries : Thomas, Lisby / Khizanishvili, Roberts, Reed, Enkelman, Nelson.
Disqualifications : no.
“Charlton” (version of “SPORT Today”): Carson - Young, El-Karkuri, Heydarsson, Diavara - Rommedahl, Faye, Holland, Thomas - Hasselbeink, D. Bent.
Blackburn (SPORT Today): Friedel - Bentley, Anshaw, Oyer, Gray - Emerton, Tugai, Savage, Pedersen - Nonda, McCartney.
Last five matches : - - - - + = / - - - - +
Last matches : 0: 2 (“Walley”); 4: 1 (Ewood Park).
Quotes William Hill : the victory of Charlton - 2.5, the draw - 3.1, the victory of Blackburn - 2.5.
TOTTENHAM - MIDLESBRO
December 5th . White Hart Lane, 23.00.
Judge : Mark Halsey (Lancashire).
Injuries : Jenas, Davids, Stolteri, Gardner, Mido / Riggot, Davis, MacMahon.
Disqualifications : no.
“Tottenham Hotspur” (version of “SPORT Today”): Robinson - Shimbonda, Dawson, King, Assu-Ekotto - Lennon, Zokora, Defoe, Malbranck - Keene, Berbatov
Middlesbrough (SPORT today): Schwarzer - Hoot, Woodgate, Pogatets, Parnaby - Cattermole, Boateng, Downing, Taylor - Yakubu, Viduka.
Last five matches : - = - + = / + - - = -
Last year's matches : 3: 3 (Riverside); 2-0 (White Hart Lane).
Quotes William Hill : Tottenham win - 1.66, draw - 3.3, victory of Middlesbrough - 4.5.
NEWcastle - READING
December 6th . Saint James Park, 23.00.
Judge : Rob Styles (Hampshire).
Injuries : Dyer, Harper, Parker, Duff, Moore, Bernard, Krul, Ameobi, Owen / Little, Convey, Cox, Mate, Kitson, Brown.
Disqualifications : no.
Newcastle (SPORT Today): Given - Babayaro, Taylor, Bramble, Ramage - Milner, Butt, Emre, N'Zogbia, Solano - Martins.
“Reading” (version of “SPORT Today”): Hahnemann - Marty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shori - Gunnarsson, Sidwell, Harper, Hunt - Doyle, Sel Ki Hien.
Last five matches : + = - = - / - - + + +
Last year's matches : not met.
Quotes William Hill : victory of “Newcastle” - 2.15, draw - 3.1, victory of “Reading” - 3.
WEST HAM - WIGAN
December 6th . The Boleyn Ground, 23.00.
Judge : Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).
Injuries : Gabbidon, Carroll, Tomkins, Ashton / Valencia, de Zeuw, Filan, Teale, Taylor.
Disqualifications : no.
West Ham (SPORT Today version): Green - Spector, E. Ferdinand, Collins, Konnicheski - Boyer, Mullins, Reo-Cocker, Etherington - Zamora, Tevez.
“Wigan” (version of “SPORT Today”): Kirkland - Boyce, Jackson, Hall, Baines - McCullock, Skoko, Sharner, Kilbane - Camara, Heskey.
Last five matches : - - + + - / + + + = -
Last year's matches : 1: 2 (“JJ Stadium”); 0: 2 (Boleyn Ground).
Quotes William Hill : West Ham win 1.9, draw 3.2, Wigan win 3.5.
NOTE : match start time is Moscow time.
TOURNAMENT TABLE
| Club | AND | AT | N | P | M | ABOUT |
| one | MANCHESTER UNITED | sixteen | 13 | 2 | one | 35-8 | 41 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 15 | eleven | 2 | 2 | 25-8 | 35 |
| 3 | ARSENAL | 15 | 7 | four | four | 25-12 | 25 |
| four | PORTSMOUTH | sixteen | 7 | four | five | 21-14 | 25 |
| five | LIVERPOOL | sixteen | 7 | four | five | 19-15 | 25 |
| 6 | READING | 15 | eight | one | 6 | 17-18 | 25 |
| 7 | Everton | sixteen | 6 | 6 | four | 20-15 | 24 |
| eight | ASTON VILLA | sixteen | five | 9 | 2 | 19-15 | 24 |
| 9 | BOLTON | sixteen | 7 | 3 | 6 | 15-15 | 24 |
| ten | FULHAM | sixteen | five | five | 6 | 16-23 | 20 |
| eleven | MANCHESTER CITY | 15 | five | four | 6 | 13-17 | nineteen |
| 12 | TOTTENHAM | 15 | five | four | 6 | 13-19 | nineteen |
| 13 | Wigan | 14 | five | 3 | 6 | 17-20 | 18 |
| 14 | BLACKBURN | 14 | four | four | 6 | 13-17 | sixteen |
| 15 | MIDLESBRO | 15 | four | four | 7 | 12-19 | sixteen |
| sixteen | SHEFFIELD UNITED | sixteen | four | four | eight | 11-20 | sixteen |
| 17 | WEST HAM | 15 | four | 2 | 9 | 10-18 | 14 |
| 18 | NEWCASTLE | 14 | 3 | four | 7 | 9-15 | 13 |
| nineteen | Watford | 14 | one | 6 | 7 | 10-20 | 9 |
| 20 | CHARLTON | 15 | 2 | 3 | ten | 11-23 | 9 |
SNIPERS : Doyle (Reading) - 8, Drogba (Chelsea) - 8, Kanu (Portsmouth) - 8, Rooney (Man. United) - 7, Saa (Man. United) - 7, Barry (Aston Villa) - 6, D. Bent (Charlton ) - 6, Henry (Arsenal) - 6, Johnson (Everton) - 6, Kate (Liverpool) - 6.
17th round. 9.12 . Blackburn - Newcastle. Bolton - West Ham. Liverpool - Fulham. Manchester United - Manchester City. Middlesbrough - Wigan. Portsmouth - Everton. Tottenham Hotspur - Charlton. Watford - Reading.
10.12. Chelsea - Arsenal.
12.12. Sheffield United - Aston Villa.