Bournemouth move up one place to eighth. Their goal difference (a healthy +13) takes them above Newcastle, who go to West Ham tomorrow night. Spurs remain 13th, as they were always going to, but the point they won with that penalty takes them a little further ahead of Everton, Man United and West Ham. What a strange sight that is: a cluster of big-time mediocrity.Bournemouth were the better team, only to be let down by Kepa, who gave away a penalty and cost them two points.Bournemouth are the Prem’s leading team in added time, with eight goals this season.Bournemouth should be ahead again! Ouattara, in acres in the box, has only to lay a simple ball back to Kluivert, but he underhits it and Spurs escape. Meanwhile Maddison has been booked and Udogie has come on, so Ange has played his last card.
“I for one would be delighted to see Sean Dyche at the helm,” says Colin Young. “Enough with all this crazy experimentalism. His tried and tested no-nonsense football is just what Spurs need. And I say that as Arsenal fan.”
Bournemouth win a corner. Tavernier goes long with it but his mates at the back of the scrum can’t keep it in.
Here’s Peter Oh. “I think retired actuaries and statistics professors would agree that Spurs’ expected groan (xGr) stat is red-lining at the moment. I suppose that for Spurs, playing out of the back is a bit like snapping a dislocated shoulder back into place. Straightforward in principle but painful to experience and hard to watch.”
Bournemouth counter … but hang on, there’s a whiff of offside. The VAR confirms it and gets the biggest cheer of the afternoon.
Bournemouth for Spurs, Spurs got worse and Bournemouth got better. It’s almost as if this is a team game.Bournemouth with the ball. No exaggeration so say Bournemouth could be three up. Spurs can only get better. Can’t they?”
Tom Costello is even more disgruntled. “I’m following the game via your report,” he says. “Can’t be bothered even watching on TV. Sounds like it’s panning out exactly as I thought it would. Not usually a merchant of gloom, but it’s not about injuries any more. It looks like Ange’s time is up.”
More on the great xG debate. “As an actual real professor of statistics,” says Bob O’Hara, “I think Joe Pearson is misleading you. You are right that an xG of 3.5:1 would suggest, on average, 3-1 or 4-1. Opta are explicit that this is what in the trade is called an expectation (in essence an average). Unfortunately Opta didn’t attend my stats course, otherwise they would understand the importance of reporting prediction errors (aka ‘how far away from a fire-breathing dragon can you safely stand?’).” Nice title.
Kerkez, someone at Sky has worked out, ran 63 yards before hitting that cross. What a player he is.
An update from the emergency department. “Shoulder now back in,” says Mark Goodchild, “but after reading the opening 5 mins of Spurs’ defending, now have heart problems!!”
Source: theguardian.com
