NORMAN GILLER'S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 476
Submitted by Norman Giller

I never thought the day would dawn when I'd feel almost happy after a North London Derby defeat by the red raiders from the Emirates, but I was buoyed by Tottenham's attitude against Arsenal yesterday.

Even when they trailed 3-0 at half-time they believed they could get back into a match in which the football gods came down heavily on the side of the Woolwich Nomads. I am trying hard not to be too biased when I say that Spurs at least deserved a draw.

Let's be honest, Mikel Arteta has created an excellent Arsenal team, but their solid red wall wobbled and shook under the ferocity of Tottenham's second-half fight back, led by action man Cristiano Romero. He showed exactly why the master, Lionel Messi, describes him as the world's greatest central defender.

I'm confident Ange Postecoglou will have Spurs at least matching our neighbours next season when he completes his team-building plans in the summer. My deep throat contact at Tottenham assures me there will be a minimum three major signings coming in to give Spurs strength in depth.

Only then can we truly judge the laid-back Greek/Aussie, who has given us a season to remember a year ahead of his schedule. Next season it will really be the team that Ange built.

Arsenal further underlined the worry that Spurs have become vulnerable at set pieces, particularly corners, as our guru Paul H. Smith spotlights in his eyewitness report HERE. They must sort out the dithering and indiscipline if they want to be in the Man City/Arsenal class as championship contenders.

It seemed that scores of Spurs supporters could not stomach it when Arsenal went 3-0 clear and jumped ship, not accepting that it was a freak scoreline. There were many empty seats when Tottenham started a revival movement that very nearly salvaged a point.

That top four place in the Premier League is now more in Aston Villa's hands than Tottenham's but there must be no let up in the battle for points, starting at Stamford Bridge against under-pressure Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea on Thursday. The remaining games...

Chelsea (a) May 2, 7.30
Liverpool (a) May 5, 4.30
Burnley (h) May 11 3.00
Man City (h) May 14 8.00
Sheffield Utd (a) May 19 4.00

It's going to be a hectic final furlong in the enthralling Premier League chase.

COYS!

Week 33 of season nine of the Spurs Odyssey Quiz League challenge, and the question is:

Which former PSG player competed in the 2016 Olympics, has been capped 50 times and which Spurs squad number does he wear?

Please email your answer to me at soqleague@gmail.com and make the subject heading Quiz Week 33. Deadline: midnight this Friday. I will do my best to respond to all who take part.

The rules are the same as in the previous eight 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 tie-breaking poser that is based on opinion rather than fact. That's when I become as popular as Sol Campbell in an Arsenal shirt.

This year's main prize will be a framed certificate announcing the winner as SOQL champion 2024, plus three signed Tottenham-themed books. We have retired the omniscient David Guthrie after his three victories.

Question No 32:

Who was born in Middlesex, raised in Essex, won 53 international caps, and for which club did Arsene Wenger sign him?

Answer: Glenn Hoddle/Monaco

See you back here ... on Monday. COYS!

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