Match Report: Tottenham Hottspur 0-1 Wigan Athletic

A win, yes another win. Maybe lighting does strike twice (well in this case it has done). Six points in the last two surpasses our total points tally from the last eight games, and means that we now look a bit better off with eleven points from ten games. So with our results picking up, has that gone hand in hand with better performances?

Well against West Ham United we saw the passing domination that we are so use to from this current Latics side. However being away at Tottenham you have to try and approach the game differently. They are of course on home turf and like to hit teams quick on the counter, with fast fluid football. The sad story for the Spurs fans, is that Tottenham never really got out of third gear.

The opening twenty minutes was predictable for two sides which are both playing under tactical maestros. A slow, calm tempo as Tottenham controlled the possession and looked to open the gaps up in the Latics defense. Yet this wasn't the same team they were able to pull apart last season. The wing-backs pulled in, and we held tight with five at the back and the midfielders looking to break and support Arouna Kone who was playing as the figure head with Franco Di Santo playing behind him.

And it was Kone who would come closest first for Wigan. The Ivorian was able to turn and dip out of the way of the Tottenham defense and gain a yard to open up some shooting space, the strikers shot was well saved by a Brad Friedel who would make some important saves for Spurs. He would deny Shaun Maloney with ten minutes of the first half left. The American making himself big and stopping Maloney from scoring.

Tottenham's attacks were usually labored, and in the end came to nothing. Their shots were either wide or easy saves for our experienced goalkeeper (Ali Al Habsi). Jan Vertonghen and Gylfi Sigurdsson were being the main thorns in Wigan's side. The two players have creativity in bags, and were looking to catch out the Wigan defense with some spontaneous actions. Sigurdsson who came on mid way through the half, went straight into the action and nearly broke free of the Latics defense, yet was well watched by the in form Ivan Ramis.

The possession was against Wigan, yet the chances were for us. It seams ironic as for much of the season it had been the other way around. Maybe this game was signs of the tide of Latics fortunes turning.

We defiantly started the second half stronger. And within ten minutes of the restart had taken the lead. We were getting our foot more on the ball. Shaun Maloney at the center of all our god things, the Scottish international picked the ball up outside the, and runs at the full back, and won a corner. The midfielder took the resulting and swung it in deep, Friedel clawed the ball out of the goal and to the waiting Ben Watson to slot the ball home.

A good start to the second half had been rewarded and you hoped that we would push on and get another one. Yet it would be Tottenham who would control the ball, yet we would control the tempo and manner by which the ball was played, making it hard for Tottenham to play.

Gareth Bale was starting to have more of an impact. The Welshman was starting to get on the ball and run at our defense. Yet we were much better prepared for him this time, our team doubled up on him to remove the space he could find in behind the back three.

Yet even then they still looked lost and out of ideas. This wasn't the same Tottenham team of old and their fans were starting to get on their backs about their below par performances. It was rare to see them have a solid effort let alone make Ali work hard to save the ball.

That was really the story for the rest of the game. Tottenham attacked in whatever way they could, while Wigan looked to close the ball down and take control of it in their clinical passing manner. Even when the game went into five minutes of added time Latics kept their heads under the Tottenham pressure and closed the game out for a 1-0 victory.