Sunderland (a) Lost 0-1 - conceded an injury time goal.
Everton (h) Lost 1-3 - conceded a goal from a free-kick within the first minute (identical to last season) – that made two goals conceded in two minutes over the first two games.
- goalkeeper and defender collide leaving opportunity to score
- deflection off wall from long range free-kick
Manchester United (a) Lost 0-1 – deflection on long range shot
Fulham (a) Draw 3-3* – conceded from a corner
- shot deflected, looped over goalkeeper
- failed to clear a long throw in and overhead kick from edge of area in injury time
Arsenal (h) Lost 1-3* – scored from a free-kick (similar to last season)
- long range shot on the break
- last minute goal but game was already beyond Spurs.
Bolton (a) draw 1-1* – scored from a free-kick
Aston Villa (h) Draw 4-4* – goalkeeper drops the ball from simple cross from corner, clearance sliced to defender who scored an equaliser
- failed to clear a centre and ball ricocheted to defender for his second goal
- failed to deal with long clearance and shot from edge of area
- shot from long range free-kick
Liverpool (a) Draw 2-2* – goalkeeper parries shot from free-kick, defence too slow to react
- last minute equaliser from long cross
Newcastle (a) Lost 1-3 – defence failed to clear a routine long ball giving home side goal on stroke of half-time
- conceded from a corner
- failed to clear ball creating opportunity for an unchallenged strike from edge of area
Blackburn (h) Lost 1-2* – shot took deflection off defender
- injury time free-kick half cleared and strike unchallenged from edge of box
Middlesbrough (a) Draw 1-1* – long range shot
West Ham United (a) Draw 1-1 – individual error by Kaboul
Birmingham City (h) Lost 2-3* – Poor challenge to concede a penalty
Long range shot in injury time
Manchester City (h) Won 2-1 – Conceded from corner
Arsenal (a) Lost 1-2 – conceded from corner for second goal
Fulham (h) Won 5-1 – conceded from corner
Reading (h) Won 6-4 – conceded from a free-kick and two corners
- fourth goal conceded on the break
Aston Villa (a) Lost 1-2 – conceded from two corners through poor marking
(* Games in which Spurs had been leading and dropped points)
Until the defensive problems are sorted out, Spurs will fail to challenge for Europe or trophies. The matches may be exciting but in the long run Spurs will be the losers. Ramos has a great deal of work ahead of him to resolve this problem as every team will know that they are in with a chance of scoring as soon as they are awarded a free-kick or corner. And so do Spurs and that's why panic takes over in their penalty area.
