Tottenham travel to Blackburn on Sunday, hoping to follow their youngsters’ example from Thursday in taking all three points.
Ewood Park has proved to be a happy hunting ground for the Lilywhites in the past. Spurs have won seven of their 17 matches in BB2, drawing four and losing just six, showing that it’s not all North London clubs that have a hard time in the north-west.
As well as getting more points at Ewood Park than their hosts, Spurs have also managed to outscore Rovers by 19 goals to 14. Of those 19 Tottenham away goals, three have come from the boot, head or knee of former Spur Peter Crouch, who got four goals in three games for the visitors.
However, he is not Tottenham’s leading Premiership goalscorer against Blackburn. That honour goes to L.A. Galaxy star Robbie Keane, who has put six into the Rovers’ net. Despite this, the title of overall top goalscorer in matches between these two sides goes to Spurs’ arch nemesis Alan Shearer who has scored seven goals for Blackburn in the Premiership.
Three of those goals came in one match at White Hart Lane in 1996 when Blackburn emerged 3-2 winners, thanks to a 90th minute winner from the Geordie. That remains the only hat-trick scored in matches between this pair, although there have been six braces since 1992/93.
Most of the memorable matches unfortunately seem to have gone the way of Blackburn, such as their 4-0 thrashing of Spurs at White Hart Lane in 2002/03, that hat-trick for Shearer in 1995/96 and their late show at Ewood Park in 2008/09 to snatch all three points, though we mustn’t forget Spurs’ 3-2 win at home in 2005/06 and their 3-0 away win in 1997/98 thanks to goals from Berti, Armstrong and Fox.
Actually, that 2-1 win for Rovers in 2008/09 was their last win, and even their last point against Spurs. Since that day in April 2009, the Lilywhites have racked up five straight wins over their North-West rivals, scoring 11 goals to Rovers’three.
Spurs will be keen to at least take a draw from Sunday’s match as only once in Premier League history has Blackburn finished above Spurs when the North London club has remained unbeaten in the two matches between the pair.
Finally, fans of blood and thunder might be wise to tune into Sunday’s late afternoon game. Since Patrik Valery got sent off for Rovers at White Hart Lane in 1997/98 there have been nine red cards, six for Blackburn and three for Tottenham. Two of those came on 19th November 2006 when Rovers goalscorer Tugay and Tottenham’s Hossam Ghaly received their second half marching orders.
By Jamie Frier
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
