1-2 v Norwich City - 9 April 2012 - Home

Tottenham Hotspur Badge

Spurs 1

Norwich City

Norwich City

2

  • Pilkington
    13'
  • Bennett
    66'
Details
Match Number

6933

Opposition
Norwich city

Norwich City

Competition
Premier League

Premier League

Season

2011/12

Date

9th April 2012

Kick Off

15:00

Venue

White Hart Lane

Attendance

36,126

Referee

Michael Oliver

League Position

4th

Opposition League Position

10th

Opposition Form

DLLLWW

Weather at Kick Off

9.7° - Drizzle

Facts & Milestones
  • 6897th overall match (3270 wins, 1520 draws, 2094 losses)

  • 5345th competitive match (2379 wins, 1259 draws, 1707 losses)

  • team

    75th match vs Norwich City (33 wins, 20 draws, 22 losses)

  • competition

    767th Premier League match (291 wins, 203 draws, 273 losses)

  • 6333rd match in England (2953 wins, 1428 draws, 1939 losses)

  • 2845th match at White Hart Lane (1664 wins, 614 draws, 567 losses)

  • Younès Kaboul
    Younès Kaboul: 100th appearance
Report

Tottenham's stuttering Premier League form continued as their challenge for a top-four spot suffered a damaging setback with defeat at home to Norwich.

Anthony Pilkington sidefooted the Canaries ahead before Grant Holt was denied a penalty for Norwich.

Jermain Defoe dinked in an equaliser and Gareth Bale hit the crossbar for the hosts before Elliott Bennett arrowed in Norwich's winner.

Redknapp targets 'five wins' after Norwich setback The loss leaves Spurs fourth, above Newcastle only on goal difference.

Newcastle beat Bolton to increase the pressure on the Londoners, while Chelsea are also hot on the heels of faltering Tottenham, who have one win from their last eight games.

After spending so much of the season looking upwards, the swashbuckling style and swagger of early season Spurs was replaced by uncertainty and frustration against a Norwich side who had the quality and verve to take advantage.

The Canaries went ahead when the home defence failed to clear their lines and Pilkington was on hand to slide in his eighth goal of the campaign.

Holt was furious referee Michael Oliver refused to then award him a penalty after Ledley King appeared to pull his shirt and his anger was compounded when Spurs immediately levelled.

Jake Livermore's piercing pass found Defoe and he coolly dinked the ball over the on-rushing keeper John Ruddy.

It was only the outstretched hand of Ruddy which then stopped Spurs taking the lead.

Tottenham left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto broke free after a clever one-two with Emmanuel Adebayor, only to see his shot brilliantly saved by the Norwich keeper.

Tottenham's desire for a win against a Norwich side playing with energy and exuberance made for an enthralling, end-to-end game.

Norwich's top-flight security has been all but assured and, in Holt and Ruddy, the Canaries had two players who enhanced their claims for an England place in front of Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, who is tipped to take over the national team.

Another penalty claim for the visitors was turned down when Adebayor thrust his shoulder into the back of Wilbraham, before Bale cut inside and shuddered a shot against the crossbar.

The buccaneering runs of Bale and promptings of Luka Modric for Spurs have diminished as the season has worn on, while substitute Rafael van der Vaart, introduced with 20 minutes left, has also started to have less of an impact for them.

Lambert delighted with 'colossal' win A lack of assuredness in defence, with Spurs missing holding midfielder Scott Parker, also did not help the home side and Norwich took advantage to score the winner.

Bennett ran at a backtracking Spurs backline and drove in an angled shot from the edge of the box for his first goal for the club.

Norwich boss Paul Lambert: "It was the best performance in the three years I've been here, that is the magnitude of it. I thought we were brilliant, right from the off.

"If you sit back and analyse it, it is ridiculous what has happened here.

"The club was close to folding, you inherit a group of lads you are not sure are good enough to get out of League One.

"To beat Tottenham in their own back yard is incredible for us, but the performance was right up there."

Timeline
KO

Anthony Pilkington

13'
HT

Bradley Johnson

59'

Elliott Bennett

62'

Elliott Bennett

66'
FT
Location
League Table
# Team PL W D L GF GA GD PTS
1
Manchester united
32 25 4 3 78 27 51 79
2
Manchester city
32 22 5 5 75 26 49 71
3
Arsenal
32 19 4 9 63 41 22 61
4
Tottenham Hotspur Badge Tottenham Hotspur
32 17 8 7 56 36 20 59
5
Chelsea
32 16 8 8 55 37 18 56
6
Newcastle united
32 16 8 8 48 42 6 56
7
Everton
32 12 8 12 34 34 0 44
8
Liverpool
32 11 10 11 37 34 3 43
9
Sunderland
32 11 9 12 42 37 5 42
10
Fulham
32 11 9 12 42 42 0 42
11
Stoke city
32 11 8 13 31 44 -13 41
12
Norwich city
32 10 10 12 44 51 -7 40
13
West bromwich albion
32 11 6 15 39 43 -4 39
14
Swansea city
32 10 9 13 35 41 -6 39
15
Aston villa
31 7 13 11 34 43 -9 34
16
Bolton wanderers
31 9 2 20 36 63 -27 29
17
Queens park rangers
32 7 7 18 35 56 -21 28
18
Blackburn rovers
32 7 7 18 43 67 -24 28
19
Wigan athletic
32 6 10 16 30 57 -27 28
20
Wolverhampton wanderers
32 5 7 20 34 70 -36 22
# Team PL W D L GF GA GD PTS
1
Manchester united
32 25 4 3 78 27 51 79
2
Manchester city
32 22 5 5 75 26 49 71
3
Arsenal
32 19 4 9 63 41 22 61
4
Tottenham Hotspur Badge Tottenham Hotspur
33 17 8 8 57 38 19 59
5
Newcastle united
33 17 8 8 50 42 8 59
6
Chelsea
33 16 9 8 56 38 18 57
7
Everton
33 13 8 12 38 34 4 47
8
Liverpool
33 12 10 11 40 36 4 46
9
Fulham
33 11 10 12 43 43 0 43
10
Norwich city
33 11 10 12 46 52 -6 43
11
Sunderland
33 11 9 13 42 41 1 42
12
Stoke city
33 11 9 13 32 45 -13 42
13
West bromwich albion
32 11 6 15 39 43 -4 39
14
Swansea city
32 10 9 13 35 41 -6 39
15
Aston villa
32 7 14 11 35 44 -9 35
16
Bolton wanderers
32 9 2 21 36 65 -29 29
17
Queens park rangers
32 7 7 18 35 56 -21 28
18
Blackburn rovers
33 7 7 19 45 70 -25 28
19
Wigan athletic
32 6 10 16 30 57 -27 28
20
Wolverhampton wanderers
32 5 7 20 34 70 -36 22
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