NORMAN GILLER'S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 565
Submitted by Norman Giller

This battle-scarred old git is stifling his celebrations of the long-awaited victory at Stamford Bridge until the latest fitness report on James Maddison. It is the cocky but likeable West Midlander who is giving shape and style to what we are all convinced is the resurgence of Spurs after too long in the dungeon of despair.

The sight of Madders sitting forlorn and clearly hurting on the Chelsea pitch with nobody near him set off alarm bells that our saviour is back among the walking wounded. Whoever put a curse on Spurs is getting an overdose of sick satisfaction.

It was Maddison who was at the heart of all the good things that Tottenham produced to check and choke Chelsea right up until his mystery injury in the 50th minute. Now we are all on tenterhooks while awaiting a medical bulletin.

Manager Roberto De Zerbi tried to make light of the injury, but the excitable Italian is not the greatest of actors and could not shield his concern. He switched the topic to how well Conor Gallagher performed as a loudly jeered substitute against his old club.

There was encouragement in that, too. Much as I treasure a player who can see a pass before the rest of us have spotted the gap, we cannot have the fortunes of Tottenham balanced on one man's fitness. We had too much of that with Harry Kane.

The other players have to take responsibility when the conductor puts down his baton. They did that at the Bridge, and Gallagher had the additional pleasure of helping to silence people who had apparently forgotten what he once gave their club.

At the height of Tottenham's supremacy, with man-of-the-match Mateus Fernandes even more prominent than Maddison, this veteran onlooker was moved to say: "Spurs are dominating with traditional Spurs-style push and run." There can be no higher praise, and our defence - dare I say it with the visit from the Palace coming up? - is beginning to look impenetrable.

Now, before anybody accuses me of reaching for my Lilywhite-tinted spectacles, I am not putting this side alongside the Double immortals. They have a considerable amount of winning to do before that conversation even comes out of the starting gates.

But those of us brought up on the Tottenham way recognise the pleasure of a ball moved quickly and a player making himself available for the return. It still makes an old heart beat a little faster.

Our Spurs Odyssey guru Paul H. Smith reports HERE how Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders marked his full Premier League debut by inexplicably punching the ball over his own goal-line (just) to present Spurs with a well-deserved lead.

Then, after the enigmatic Cole Palmer had seen red as the match finally became the full-blooded derby we had anticipated, Mathys Tel produced one of his explosive runs that usually lead him up a cul-de-sac. This time, glory be, he finished with aplomb to rubber-stamp Tottenham's second Premier League victory at Stamford Bridge in three decades, a ground that is usually a Bridge too far.

But this pessimistic observer was too concerned about the extent of the injury to James Maddison to give the victory the joyous celebration it deserved. Poor old sod.

COYS!

Here we go with the ninth week of the quiz that tests your knowledge of Tottenham players and club history ...

Who wore the No 11 shirt for Tottenham in the 1967 FA Cup final, and with which club did he finish his Football League career in 1976?

Email your answer to me at soqleague@gmail.com and make the subject heading Quiz Week 9. Deadline: midnight this Saturday. I will do my best to respond to all who take part. Answer in next week's Blog here at Spurs Odyssey.

The rules are the same as in the previous 12 seasons. I ask a two-pronged question with three points at stake - two for identifying the player and one for the supplementary question. In the closing weeks of the competition I break the logjam of all-knowing Spurs-history experts with a real stinker of a tie-breaking poser that is based on opinion rather than fact. This is when I lose what few friends I have.

This season's main prize will be a framed certificate announcing the winner as SOQL champion 2027, plus three signed books to be revealed at a later date.

Last week: Who has won 45 caps for his country, has a Macedonian mother and which number Spurs shirt does he wear?

Answer: Dejan Kulusevski/21

See you back here on Monday, when I hope we are celebrating victory over the Palace.