Watford 1 Tottenham 4
Watford: Kaboul (90'+1) | Tottenham: Kane (27', 33'), Alli (41', 46')
Man of the Match: Dele Alli (Tottenham)
They have been twin thrashings, four-goal salvoes fired away from home which have now taken Tottenham into the top four. Mission statements have secured their eventual elevation, ending their two-month stay in fifth place. Like Southampton four days earlier, Watford on Sunday discovered Tottenham are in enviable form.
Theirs was a performance of utter dominance. Watford posted the first contender for the unwanted award of 2017’s most shambolic display, but Tottenham were terrific.
“We played to a very high standard,” said Mauricio Pochettino. “The first half was one of the best we have played this season.”
It was his vision being played out perfectly: youth and energy, attacking intent and skill, a triumph hewn on the training ground, borne of collectivism and clinched by the twin emblems of the new Tottenham.
Harry Kane and Dele Alli — one home-grown, the other acquired young and both moulded by Pochettino — struck twice apiece. It was Kane’s 100th Premier League appearance and he marked it with his 58th and 59th goals, a healthy statistic that is a sign of his consistent productivity. A brace was taken with the assurance of a specialist scorer. Perhaps the only surprise was that the supply line for both goals was reserve rightback Kieran Trippier. Promoted because Kyle Walker was suspended, the understudy doubled his tally of assists for Spurs in six minutes.
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His first was a pass slid through the Watford defence that Kane converted from an acute angle. Then Trippier controlled Alli’s cross-field ball and whipped in an enticing cross. Kane met it on the volley to apply the finishing touch.
Alli was inches from a landmark of his own, a maiden Premier League hat-trick. He struck the bar with a ferocious shot a minute before Kane’s opener. He ended with a second successive brace and proof of his symbiotic understanding with Kane: his second goal came from the striker’s cross.
For his first, he latched on to a poor clearance from Younes Kaboul, the man Pochettino had appointed Tottenham captain before swiftly acknowledging his error, and placed a shot beyond the former Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. The presence of two old boys added a symbolism: Tottenham’s present is infinitely preferable to much of their recent past.
Pochettino was able to remove Alli with half an hour remaining. Danny Rose and Kane also sat out the closing stages as attention turned to Wednesday’s attempt to halt Chelsea’s winning run. “We’re coming for you,” chorused the Spurs faithful to their Blues counterparts.
Their thoughts had strayed from Watford. Pochettino had taken mercy on them. Tottenham lost concentration in added time and Kaboul scored the least consoling of consolation goals. Watford’s problems began before kick-off. Already ravaged by injuries, they lost Juan Zuniga in the warm-up. Striker Odion Ighalo came in while Nordin Amrabat, Watford’s third choice right wing-back, moved to the flank until he, too, sustained an injury.
Yet absences alone cannot excuse their staggering ineptitude, as Adlene Guedioura accepted. “It is embarrassing to lose like that,” said the midfielder. “I want to apologise to all the fans.” Much was sorry about Watford, a side seeming to lack the basics, whether of organisation or commitment. They feel a team without an identity, as though the revolving-door recruitment policy has come at a cost.
Now Tottenham have four consecutive wins, Watford one point from four games. They looked what they are: teams going in opposite directions.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Newcastle 2-2 Manchester City
Burnley 0-2 Crystal Palace
Chelsea 0-1 West Ham
Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Tottenham 3-2 Bournemouth
Southampton v Watford (late)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sav%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Purvi%20Munot%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%20as%20of%20March%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
more from Janine di Giovanni
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
