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Europe

Championship: Arsene Wenger fumes as Burnley turf out Arsenal

Kevin McDonald's double put paid to any romantic notions that Arsenal's tyros could win a trophy
Published: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:19:52 GMT - Source: Guardian.Co.Uk - Read the article

Europe

Burnley send Arsenal crashing out

A brace from midfielder Kevin McDonald sends Championship Burnley into the semi-finals of the Carling Cup.
Published: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:02:48 GMT - Source: News.Bbc.Co.Uk - Read the article

Europe

Tottenham come back from behind to put themselves on verge of Wembley return

The day may come when upheaval is no longer the natural state of Tottenham Hotspur but neutrals will miss the volatility. Even the club's supporters would have a twinge of nostalgia for chaos as invigorating as this, particularly since Tottenham Hotspur are virtually guaranteed their chance to retain the Carling Cup at Wembley.Burnley must have been as unsuspecting as everyone else when they led 1-0 at the interval. A 4-1 deficit for the return leg at Turf Moor in a fortnight was inconceivable then. The ultimate role reversal reflected the impact that the Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp, had when he delivered a splenetic address at the interval.David Bentley was uneasy on the left and also turned out to have been unwell. His replacement by Jamie O'Hara gave the side natural width on that flank for the second half. The substitute even scored on his own account. It is true that Burnley can reproach themselves for all but one of the goals they conceded but the collapse reflected the shock experienced when they were suddenly put under pressure by a Tottenham team that had previously been incapable of aggression.The initial passivity had been an incitement to the visitors. Burnley, with no anxieties to burden them, had a spring in their step then. Their previous triumphs over Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal this season seemed fully explicable. It was ­Tottenham, and in particular their left-back Gareth Bale, who were weighed down by care, when Chris Eagles darted inside him before placing the low cross that allowed Martin Paterson an elementary finish in the 15th minute.The returning Jermain Defoe had emerged beforehand to be feted by the White Hart Lane crowd. Those spectators then spent 45 minutes or so wishing that they could have hailed him on the pitch instead. Afterwards Redknapp still had a residual anger about the sluggishness of the display at the start.The trouble for the Tottenham manager was also associated with the open nature of the game. Ledley King, as is regularly the case, was resting his bad knee with a view to playing in the Premier League on Sunday but the central defence still did not look as if it had got used to operating without him.After 24 minutes Robbie Blake was heading fractionally wide from another Eagles delivery. Burnley had to cope with an additional disappointment when Joey Gudjonsson's injury after half an hour saw the introduction of Kevin McDonald, whose two goals in the previous round had eliminated Arsenal. The Burnley supporters, forgivably, had no inkling of the sorrow to come and were soon chanting, "Are you Chelsea in disguise?" It was a means of reliving improbable triumph at Stamford Bridge while simultaneously mocking the opposition here.There was no sign before the interval that Tottenham would silence those visitors. Aaron Lennon, whose crossing has been more telling of late, disappeared back into his former aimlessness and Spurs were also undermined by profligacy. Jonathan Woodgate nodded down a Bentley corner but Roman Pavlyuchenko mishit his shot. Much as Redknapp seems to delight in the transfer market, he would still have been disturbed to see so many of his staff looking like candidates for replacement.It took O'Hara to remind him that those already on the books have their uses. His immediate contribution made Burnley reel for the first time. His deep corner evaded Clarke Carlisle and was piloted into the net by Michael Dawson's splendid header. An individual error permitted Tottenham's next goal, but that slip also reflected the panic being experienced. Pavlyuchenko drove into the penalty area and the ball broke from the head of Luka Modric before dropping to O'Hara. Brian Jensen should have saved the midfielder's drive but let it squirm past him.There was a higher tempo to Tottenham's play and Burnley, for a while, could have felt only bewilderment and some nostalgia for the comfort enjoyed in the opening 45 minutes. For a few moments hints of revival were sighted when, for example, Blake put a curler narrowly off target and, soon after, the Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes and his defence had a few chaotic moments.All the same Burnley's deficiencies were illustrated. Following Bale's pass in the 65th minute, Pavlyuchenko slipped past Carlisle as if barely conscious of the centre-back before placing his shot into the net with ease. It was nearly comic to witness such svelte confidence in a footballer who had been so inept at the beginning of the evening.When a side's form veers so wildly, their opponents are at risk of being taken by surprise. The visitors were at the mercy of misfortune as well. After 67 minutes, O'Hara's inswinging free-kick from the right was headed past his own keeper by Michael Duff.Having seemed so menacing initially, Burnley had become a danger purely to themselves.Carling CupTottenham HotspurBurnleyHarry RedknappWigan Athleticguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Published: Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:30:24 GMT - Source: Guardian.Co.Uk - Read the article

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