The dog days are over

Well, I didn't see that one coming.

A quite brilliant performance from the beleagured and battle hardened Spurs and the Chelsea jinx that hung over Tottenham for so much of the last decade or so has been well and truly put to bed. Luka Modric's goal will live long in the memory; Aaron Lennon's pull back was beautifully dispatched into the corner of Petr Cech's goal and he celebrated with genuine exuberance in front of the home fans.

In fact, Modric's display was top class from first to last. He has attracted slight criticism this season for not having the impact many predicted he may have but Tottenham's early season plight would have made it extremely difficult for him to stand out, especially with the sometimes tough transition into English football. In recent months, he really has upped his game. From the neat flicks to the laser guided passes, Modric is a playmaker extraordinaire. Able to read the game better than most in the top flight, he is a real gem of a player and it is imperative that Spurs hold on to him.

Spurs are now more than likely out of the relegation battle and should be looking up the table rather than the opposite. The team are playing as a unit and the individual excellance of players like Modric, Lennon and Robbie Keane has been unlocked and allowed to flourish. Even Ledley King has managed to play more games than we would expect and he has performed superbly in them, like an injured warrior trying to reclaim his reputation.

The thing that impresses and pleases me the most about watching Tottenham these days is the buzz around the team. Watching the game yesterday, there was a genuine thrill in the stands when Lennon picked up the ball on his right flank. It was as if the whole crowd were feeding off his skill and they roared and urged him forward, willing him to create some more magic. A similar thing happened everytime Modric was fed the ball; those two players really are in scintillating form at the moment and I would not want to be the defender who faces them next.

The dog days are over at White Hart Lane. We've suffered all this season, through the relegation threat, through the lack of goals, through the ignominy of The Guardian publishing a whole page of jokes about the plight of our once great team. Those days are gone for now. Long live the future.

Well, until the start of next season at least.

(The Boys From White Hart Lane, 2009)