Played
November 3, 2012 11:00 AM EDT
White Hart Lane — London
Referee: M. Atkinson
Attendance: 35534
November 3, 2012 11:00 AM EDT
White Hart Lane — London
Referee: M. Atkinson
Attendance: 35534
Top of the Match
Shaun Maloney
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic
Jan Vertonghen
Tottenham
Tottenham
Flop of the Match
Gylfi Sigurdsson
Tottenham
Tottenham
Gylfi Sigurdsson
Tottenham
Tottenham
Goal.com Rating 
Fans' Rating Tottenham 0-1 Wigan: Friedel clanger presents Watson with precious winner
An impotent Spurs performance heaps pressure on Andre Villas-Boas as Roberto Martinez's Latics grab a deserved one goal victory at White Hart Lane through the midfielder
By Ewan Roberts
LONDON -- Tottenham’s home woes continued as Wigan grabbed a second 1-0 victory at White Hart Lane in three years.
Wigan opened the scoring through Ben Watson after Brad Friedel’s weak punch landed at his feet, enabling him to tuck the ball past the American.
The loss incensed the home support, and increased calls for Andre Villas-Boas to replace his ageing goalkeeper with Hugo Lloris.
The Spurs’ Portuguese manager named an unchanged lineup from the side that beat Southampton in the team's last Premier League fixture, with Lloris returning to the bench and Emmanuel Adebayor left in limbo. He has yet to make a first start under Villas-Boas.
Roberto Martinez made eight changes to the team that lost to Bradford on Wednesday, restoring the XI that beat West Ham last weekend barring the enforced inclusion of Watson for the injured James McArthur.
Both sides were looking to bounce back from mid-week Capital One Cup exits, but it was Tottenham which started the brighter as Clint Dempsey raced through on goal, smashing his shot into the side-netting.
Both sides pressed high, disturbing each other’s ability to build from the back resulting in a scrappy opening exchange, though it was the home side, through Tom Huddlestone especially, which began to exert greater control.
Tottenham was dealt a blow in the 22nd minute when Sandro, intimating that there was a problem with his thigh, was forced out of the game to be replaced by Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Wigan sensed weakness immediately, with Shaun Maloney exploiting Spurs new-found immobility and ponderousness in midfield.
Drifting inside, the Scottish playmaker set up Arouna Kone, who should have put the Latics ahead before latching onto Franco Di Santo’s through-ball and firing his shot straight at an onrushing Friedel.
After a bland first half, both sides started the second with more purpose. Dempsey tested Ali Al-Habsi once more but it was Wigan which would finally end the deadlock.
Maloney’s corner fell on top of Friedel and the American weakly patted the ball towards the penalty spot and a waiting Watson, who struck his shot first time towards goal. The veteran keeper looked to have scrambled across his line and clawed the ball away, but it was adjudged to have crossed the line.
Villas-Boas responded by introducing Adebayor in place of an often isolated and ineffective Jermain Defoe and, encouraged vigorously by the home crowd and assistant manager Steffen Freund, Spurs began to attack with greater intent.
The Lilywhites went more direct, switching Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale, launching balls into the box towards Adebayor and Dempsey, but that rather played to the strengths of Wigan and Gary Caldwell especially.
Spurs’ half-hearted onslaught was to little avail, and they rarely tested Al-Habsi barring several speculative efforts from outside the box.
Back-to-back wins propel Wigan up the table, echoing the incredible end-of-season form that saved the club from certain relegation last year, while Spurs’ home form will continue to worry Villas-Boas.
Wigan opened the scoring through Ben Watson after Brad Friedel’s weak punch landed at his feet, enabling him to tuck the ball past the American.
The loss incensed the home support, and increased calls for Andre Villas-Boas to replace his ageing goalkeeper with Hugo Lloris.
The Spurs’ Portuguese manager named an unchanged lineup from the side that beat Southampton in the team's last Premier League fixture, with Lloris returning to the bench and Emmanuel Adebayor left in limbo. He has yet to make a first start under Villas-Boas.
Roberto Martinez made eight changes to the team that lost to Bradford on Wednesday, restoring the XI that beat West Ham last weekend barring the enforced inclusion of Watson for the injured James McArthur.
Both sides were looking to bounce back from mid-week Capital One Cup exits, but it was Tottenham which started the brighter as Clint Dempsey raced through on goal, smashing his shot into the side-netting.
Both sides pressed high, disturbing each other’s ability to build from the back resulting in a scrappy opening exchange, though it was the home side, through Tom Huddlestone especially, which began to exert greater control.
Tottenham was dealt a blow in the 22nd minute when Sandro, intimating that there was a problem with his thigh, was forced out of the game to be replaced by Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Wigan sensed weakness immediately, with Shaun Maloney exploiting Spurs new-found immobility and ponderousness in midfield.
Drifting inside, the Scottish playmaker set up Arouna Kone, who should have put the Latics ahead before latching onto Franco Di Santo’s through-ball and firing his shot straight at an onrushing Friedel.
After a bland first half, both sides started the second with more purpose. Dempsey tested Ali Al-Habsi once more but it was Wigan which would finally end the deadlock.
Maloney’s corner fell on top of Friedel and the American weakly patted the ball towards the penalty spot and a waiting Watson, who struck his shot first time towards goal. The veteran keeper looked to have scrambled across his line and clawed the ball away, but it was adjudged to have crossed the line.
Villas-Boas responded by introducing Adebayor in place of an often isolated and ineffective Jermain Defoe and, encouraged vigorously by the home crowd and assistant manager Steffen Freund, Spurs began to attack with greater intent.
The Lilywhites went more direct, switching Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale, launching balls into the box towards Adebayor and Dempsey, but that rather played to the strengths of Wigan and Gary Caldwell especially.
Spurs’ half-hearted onslaught was to little avail, and they rarely tested Al-Habsi barring several speculative efforts from outside the box.
Back-to-back wins propel Wigan up the table, echoing the incredible end-of-season form that saved the club from certain relegation last year, while Spurs’ home form will continue to worry Villas-Boas.
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Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Robin van Persie Striker Man United |
26 | 3 |
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Luis Suárez Striker Liverpool |
23 | 0 |
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Gareth Bale Midfielder Tottenham |
21 | 0 |
|
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19 | 3 |
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Michu Midfielder Swansea City |
19 | 0 |
