Spurs Humiliate Gunners, Berbatov Finally Happy

Tottenham Hotspur finally managed to beat Arsenal after an impressive performance on Tuesday, although the Gunners’ unbeaten streak against their city rivals in the Premier League still continues.

In a spectacular match, the Spurs totally outplayed Arsenal’s second team consisting mainly of young and prospective players and showed that they could match the top four teams

However, can they do this on a regular basis, or is it just a stroke of luck and ingenuity by the Spurs’ stars? That is the question troubling all fans who have so far seen a very disappointing season marked by unstopping defense errors and an absolute lack of creativity in the offense.

The first leg did not suggest such an outcome of the clash. Although the Spurs were still the better team, they just did not play well and did not deserve to win anymore than Arsenal’s young players who exerted themselves to the maximum and could have taken the lead in the first half when they were still fresh and full of ideas.

The draw looked perfectly logical and suggested a very tight second leg.

But Tuesday's game showed a different Tottenham. We saw a team that did not count entirely on Berbatov’s inventiveness, Keane’s power, and Lennon’s speed. We saw a squad that actually used the midfield rationally and did not just hit the ball over it in search of a long pass to the forwards.

Yes, Jenas’ early—and a little bit accidental—goal was very important because it made the Spurs believe that they could finally do it. They saw that when they played as a team and passed the ball more often and on the ground, they could actually play football better than Arsenal. Jenas was more creative than ever and Steed Malbranque did not hurt the ball every time he passed it or shot.

The most indicative result of the Spurs’ changed attitude was not the scoreboard; it was the fact the Berbatov did not score a single goal out of his team’s five. The leader in the assists rankings in the Premier League did not make an assist either. His only memorable touch of the ball was in the middle of the first half when he hit the post in a one-on-one situation.

He was deservedly substituted for Defoe when victory seemed secured at 4:0.

On the other hand, Arsenal’s young talents looked helpless and tired. They managed to create just one dangerous situation in front of Cerny’s goal for the entire first half.

Manager Arsene Wenger quickly realized where things were going and put Cesc Fabregas into play early in the first half in order to bring some creativity to the offense. That did not change a lot, however, because the Gunners just lacked their winning spirit in that game.

They had just one or two scoring chances for the entire match, except for the goal. Not to undermine Tottenham’s victory, but it would have been a deadly game if this Tottenham actually met Arsenal’s first team.

After the game, Berbatov said he had always known they had a great team and that it was all a question of believing in their possibilities. Reaching Carling Cup’s final and the potential trophy are thought to be some of the things that might actually keep the Bulgarian on White Hart Lane. He has always said that Tottenham’s greatest disadvantage is the lack of trophies.

Manager Juande Ramos hopes that this Cup may change his mind and urge him to stay and take part in the creation of another potentially great team that could at least fight for a place in the Champions League.

With new names already signed, especially the ones bought to solve the defense problems, the Spurs are looking optimistically forward to the Carling Cup final against Chelsea and the rest of the season.