Tottenham Hotspur Season Review

Tottenhamai??i??s season began under a cloud with Modric wanting to leave and not much activity in the transfer window. The first game of the season against Everton was postponed following the riots in Tottenham. With the Everton game called-off until January, a tough trip to Manchester United followed suit where the Spurs fell foul to a 3-0 defeat.

A stale 0-0 draw with Hearts was quickly followed by one of the worst results of the season; a home 5-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City. This was the game that finally saw Spurs move into the transfer marketAi??purchasing Emmanuel Adebayor and Scott Parker and persuadingAi??Modric to stay on.

Tottenham Hotspur ended the season in 4th place.

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Ai??Tottenham Hotspur endured a torrid start to finish 4th in the Premier League

Moving into September, the season looked to kick into high gear with a 2-0 win away at Wolverhampton Wanders.Ai??Another 0-0 draw in the Europa League, this time against PAOK, was quickly followed by a spectacular 4-0 win at home to Liverpool as goals from the resurgent Modric, a brace from Adebayor and a goal from Defoe finally saw Spursai??i?? season come alive.

An early exit from the Carling Cup at the hands of Stoke City, via penalties, was quickly banished as Spurs continued their impressive League form as Wigan Athletic fell to the exploits of the North Londoners in a 2-1 defeat.

October began with another win – over the Gunners in the North London derby. Rafael van der Vaart andAi??Kyle Walker strike reigned supreme in a 2-1 result. A late Shola Ameobi effort saw Spurs and Newcastle United share the spoils at St Jamesai??i?? Park. Not to be disheartened byAi??conceding aAi??late equalizer, Tottenham turned up the heat in the Europa League with the unstoppable Pavlyuchenko besting Rubin Kazan.Ai??October would stay kind asAi??a 3-1 win over QPR saw Spurs endAi??the monthAi??unbeaten courtesy of a Bale brace and a van der Vaart goal.

November saw Spurs continue their impressive unbeaten domestic run, despite a 1-0 loss to Rubin Kazan in Russia at the beginning of the month, with an impressive 3-1 win away at Fulham. Bale, Lennon and Defoe were on target in a tricky game, but the real hero of the afternoon was the impressive Friedel.

Wins over Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion aside,Ai??a shock at home to PAOK in the Europa League meant Spurs faced an uphill task to secure qualification to the knockout stages. In the league, Bolton Wanderers were feeling particularly charitable asAi??BaleAi??scored in tribute toAi??Gary SpeedAi??Ai??in a routine 3-0 win over the Trotters.

Controversy struck theAi??Tottenham-Stoke City encounter, with Chris Foy taking centre-stage that afternoon.Ai??An Adebayor goal incorrectly ruledAi??offside, Younes Kaboul manhandled in the box by Ryan Shawcross, Robert Huth handballing on the line to deny a certain goal,Ai??and KaboulAi??sent off late on after a second yellow meant the officials did themselves no favors.

Tottenham Hotspur ended the season in 4th place.

Ai??Tottenham Hotspur endured a torrid start to finish 4th in the Premier League

Spurs returned to winning ways in the Europa League with a 4-0 win over Shamrock RoversAi??while a lateAi??Pavlyuchenko finish secured three points against a resilient Sunderland side. Chelsea made the short trip across London days later and despite taking the lead through Adebayor, Daniel Sturridge levelled in a pulsating opening 25 minutes for both sides, despite a hint of handball from Ashley Cole. Adebayor, for the second time that month, saw a goal wrongfully called offside.

The final two games of 2011 were two tricky away encounters to the Premier League new boys. First up was Norwich City where Baleai??i??s brace ensured Spurs left Carrow Road with all three points. A trip to the Liberty Stadium was to be a tougher proposition and Swansea City impressed by drawing the game, with Scott Sinclair cancelling out Van der Vaartai??i??s opener for the Spurs.

The New Year began with a win for Spurs as a Defoe finish was enough to see the home side defeat West Brom 1-0 at White Hart Lane, followed by a 3-0 victory over Cheltenham in the FA Cup. The postponed encounter against Everton ended in a 2-0 win thanks to Aaron Lennon and Benoit Assou-Ekotto .

A shock 1-1 draw at home to Wolves quickly followed after Steven Fletcher opened the scoring for the travelling side. Modric leveled for the hosts and Adebayor for the third time of the season saw a perfectly legitimate goal ruled out for offside.

A week later and a trip to the Etihad Stadium saw the hosts take a two-goal advantage courtesy of Samir Nasri and Joleon Lescott. Defoe and Bale equalized in a frantic nine minutes but were aghast as City substitute Mario Balotelli scored the winning penalty for the Citizens.

Tottenham Hotspur ended the season in 4th place.

Ai??Tottenham Hotspur endured a torrid start to finish 4th in the Premier League

Two confidence boosting wins rounded off a successful January with a 1-0 win over Watford to progress to the next round of the FA Cup and a routine 3-1 victory at home to Wigan, with goals courtesy Modric and a Bale double.

February started off tamely with a resolute 0-0 draw away at Liverpool followed by an excellent 5-0 rout of Newcastle just days after Redknapp was acquitted of all tax charges. January arrival Louis Saha helped himself to a brace while Assou-Ekotto, Adebayor and Niko Kranjcar grabbed a goal apiece.

A drab 0-0 draw away at Stevenage in the FA Cup was quickly followed up with a demoralising 5-2 defeat to Arsenal in the North London derby. Saha and Adebayor made it 2-0 to Spurs early on, but Bacary Sagna, Robin Van Persie, Tomas Rosicky and a Theo Walcott stunned the Lilywhites.

The poor run of form in the league continued into March as Manchester United arrived at White Hart Lane and secured a 3-1 win. Poor officiating again saw an Adebayor goal ruled out for an apparent handball with the scores 0-0 and just minutes before Rooney opened the scoring. A midweek win over Stevenage in the FA Cup replay saw the League One side take a shock lead but goals from Defoe and Adebayor restored order with a 3-1 victory.

Things would get worse when Evertonai??i??s Nikica Jelavic exacted the Toffeeai??i??s revenge in a 1-0 defeat. FA Cup action resumed a week later. With the game 1-1 heading into half-time, Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed in the middle of the pitch after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest. The work of the medical staff at White Hart Lane worked wonders that day and despite being pronounced dead for 78 minutes, Muamba would, thankfully, go on to make a full recovery.Ai??

Spurs would host Stoke and it took a late Van der Vaart header to rescue a point. This was quickly followed up with a 0-0 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and a reassuring 3-1 win over Bolton in the replayed FA Cup encounter with Ryan Nelsen netting his first for the club.

Tottenham Hotspur ended the season in 4th place.

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Ai??Tottenham Hotspur endured a torrid start to finish 4th in the Premier League

A 3-1 win at White Hart Lane, over Swansea City brightened hopes. But a 0-0 stalemate at Sunderland was quickly followed by a shock 2-1 defeat to Norwich City at White Hart Lane after Anthony Pilkington and Elliot Bennett struck for the Canaries.

And the week got worse with an FA Cup semi-final trip to Wembley to face Chelsea. After Didier Drogba opened the scoring moments before half-time, Juan Mataai??i??s effort was judged to have crossed the line by referee Martin Atkinson, with replays proving otherwise. Bale halved the deficit midway through the second half, but goals from Ramires, Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda saw the Blues run out 5-1 winners.

Adel Tarrabt curled in a free-kick to give QPR a vital 1-0 win over his former side, as the season looked bleakest. Van der Vaart and Kyle Walker soon restored the team to winning ways in a vital 2-0 over Blackburn Rovers. A daunting trip to Bolton beckoned. Spurs had never won at the Reebok Stadium in their history but Modric, Van der Vaart and a late Adebayor brace ensured an inspiring 4-1 win.

Aston Villa were up next and despite the chance to leapfrog Arsenal into third place after their 3-3 draw with Norwich City the 24 hours earlier, Spurs failed to capitalize and could only muster a 1-1 stalemate.

And so it went to the final day of the season, a win would secure a top four finish for Spurs, and with third up for grabs, West Brom had to secure a positive result against the Gunners. Goals from Adebayor and Defoe saw Spurs win 2-0 at home to Fulham but it wasnai??i??t to be after Arsenal picked up a memorable 3-2 win at the Hawthorns.

Rafael Van der Vaart, Scott Parker, Emmanuel Adebayor and PFA Young Player of the Year Kyle Walker all excelled throughout the season. But, if there was one stand-out performer it would have to be Younes Kaboul. The Frenchman has gone from being third or fourth choice centre-back to number one in many fans eyes. A first cap for the France national side and the possibility to represent his country at the upcoming European Championships, Kaboul has come to signify all that was good about this season.

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