Image courtesy of espnfc.com
There seemed to be an element of inevitability as Gareth Bale ducked and weaved through Southampton’s midfield late on Saturday. It’s gotten to the point where you expect him to score.
This is why he was so lauded as the best player in the land. Bale powered past Southampton starlet Luke Shaw and smashed it into the corner.
And the rumors are sure to be moving; the sharks are definitely circling, eyeing Bale’s signature. We’ve heard it all before. He proved to be the match winner, but did his late goal simply paper over the cracks in Tottenham’s performance?
Many would argue it did. Spurs were fairly static throughout the game. Looking sloppy and demotivated, Tottenham had difficulty penetrating Southampton’s resolute and valiant defense. You knew from a pretty early stage that it was going to take something a little special.
Southampton, were in truth, the better side, which is worrying for Spurs. They created the clearer cut chances and looked more urgent for the majority of the game.
As Bale rescued Tottenham from the oncoming ‘AVB OUT’ parade, the whole stadium showed a sigh of relief. Tottenham now sit fifth in the Premier League, two points behind Arsenal, behind Chelsea on goal difference. The game in hand that Spurs have over Arsenal is massive. That game is on Wednesday, when Tottenham clash with fellow Champions League chasers Chelsea.
And so Bale justified why he has received such high acclaim. He’s going to be vital to whatever success Tottenham achieve in the near future, that’s for certain. As the Spurs fans sang, “Gareth Bale, he was born to play for Spurs”, the Welshman surely couldn’t have been prouder after an incredible week.
