Opinion: My top five games at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
With the news emerging of a plan to ease lockdown restrictions, we may be moving closer towards a return to stadiums for fans.
It has been nearly a year since spectators were permitted at elite sporting events. The experiment in December 2020 to reintegrate fans was short-lived, as another lockdown loomed across the nation.
Having said that, the accelerated rollout of vaccinations nationwide has given supporters new-found hope that we can return to normality in the coming months.
The glistening, (almost) new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be ready and waiting, as fans relentlessly flood back into their seats, in anticipation of witnessing football live once again.
As this is the case, what better opportunity to remind ourselves of some of the showstopping matches we have already witnessed at our new ground:
Tottenham v Crystal Palace (2-0) April 2019 – Our first game in our new home. This MUST be on the list, for the atmosphere alone. After two seasons of playing at Wembley, we returned to N17 to face Palace in a London Derby.
The game itself was not a demonstration of footballing excellence. However, when Son scored the first goal, the sound was almost loud enough to rupture the eardrums of all those in the vicinity.
Eriksen netted our second in the 80th minute, as a chorus of ‘glory glory Tottenham Hotspur’ rang out. The scene was quite emotional and it is a game that all Spurs fans will remember.
Tottenham v Man City (1-0) April 2019 – This game was our first Champions League fixture at the new stadium. It was an exceptional night. It featured as part of the famous run that saw us play in the Champions League final that year.
The concession of an early penalty had the Spurs fans’ hearts in their mouths. Incredibly, skipper Hugo Lloris kept out Aguero’s effort.
Furthermore, talisman Harry Kane limped off the pitch after a late challenge from Fernandinho. But, as is often the case, Heung Min Son stepped up with 12 minutes left, firing low past Ederson.
The stadium erupted, and the South Stand wall bellowed their delight, even after the final whistle. We took the 1-0 lead to Manchester, and the rest is history…
Tottenham v Burnley (5-0) December 2019 – Spurs stormed into a 2-0 lead within 10 minutes of this home tie. From there, Spurs fans could sit back and witness Pochball at its finest.
In the 32nd minute, Heung Min Son picked up the ball on the edge of his box and sprinted the length of the pitch. He darted and tip-toed his way through almost the entire Burnley defence before slotting the ball calmly past Nick Pope.
The goal that would go on to eventually win the Puskas award left those inside the stadium stunned. We all know that Son possesses an incredible quality when it comes to dribbling; however, even now, I can almost recall the laughter-type cheering that echoed around the ground after Son scored ‘that’ goal.
Tottenham v Man City (2-0) February 2020 – We seem to love a home game against Manchester City, don’t we? Fans were eagerly awaiting the full debut of January signing Steven Bergwijn in this tough matchup.
The Spurs faithful were in fine voice for most of this game. However, most fell silent for a mere second when Bergwijn controlled the ball on the edge of the area, before slotting home a delicate volley in the 63rd minute.
This silence transformed into ecstasy. Also, with a little encouragement from the fans, we would eventually go on to win the game 2-0.
Tottenham v Olympiacos (4-2) November 2019 – To round off, I decided to go with the Champions League group game against Greek side Olympiacos. This was Mourinho’s first home game as manager and it got off to an awful start as we went 2-0 down inside 20 minutes.
The atmosphere within the ground was regrettably flat until Dele Alli pulled one back on the brink of halftime. At the start of the second half, the players were met by a rejuvenated crowd. The singing throughout the second half will have undoubtedly lifted the players.
Kane pulled us level before adding another before Aurier volleyed home our fourth. It was a comfortable victory in the end, as well as an entertaining night, watching Tottenham on a Tuesday night.
If you disagree with any of these matches, feel free to let us know what you would have included.
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