Tottenham Hotspur V Blackburn Rovers preview

Tottenham Hotspur vs Blackburn Rovers

10th May 2007 at White Hart Lane

The Premier League

Kick Off 8.00pm

Live on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD 1


Our heroes in white return to the Lane for the penultimate match of the season against fellow UEFA Cup place challengers Blackburn Rovers. And for the second time in four days the Sky cameras will be in attendance (hopefully minus Tim Sherwood) so the nation can watch a team who on Monday scored their 100^th and 101^st goals of the season. This goal scoring record is only bettered by Champions Manchester United and is one of the main reasons Spurs find themselves looking likely to match the league position of last year.

Blackburn will be a tough proposition, FA Cup semi finalists and challenging for a place in the UEFA Cup for the second season running, they have been labelled by many as an overly physical side but any team with players like the much sought after MG Pedersen and David Bentley, David Dunn, Tugay and Benni McCarthy will always be a footballing threat. Only this morning, Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has heaped praise on McCarthy at the expense of our very own Dimitar Berbatov. Hopefully, current joint player of the month and general goalscoring God, Berbatov can prove to Hughes that he is the better striker by turning in yet another match winning performance tonight.

Blackburn’s visits to White Hart Lane have led to only two wins in the last nine to Spurs five wins including last years game and Robbie Keane’s wondergoal.

The game earlier this season between the two was a spikey 1-1 draw with Tugay and Ghaly being sent off and Spurs equalising the Turkish midfielder’s stunning thirty yard strike after 22 minutes through a Jermain Defoe penalty. The game continued to be scrappy with neither team able to get a real foothold and dominate. Tottenham need to ensure that tonight’s game is a feast of football and not a repeat of fight night as at Ewood. Undoubtedly Spurs at home should be able to beat a side like Blackburn but a display of grit is going to be needed in order to give Berbatov, Lennon, Keane et al the chance to display their talents.

Spurs need a win tonight to set up a party atmosphere at the Lane on Sunday when fifth place could be guaranteed. Tonight will not be easy but with a packed White Hart Lane singing at full volume and a team in form with only one defeat in the league since the debacle at Bramall Lane in February, we should be victorious.

Come on you Spurs.