Terrace Talk: Blood and thunder aplenty in 1980s-style derby slugfest

For all the weariness with Wembley, the place was rocking for the North London derby. Even the 12.30 kick-off, usually guaranteed to subdue the occasion, couldn’t stop the life crackling around the stadium as the two old rivals went head to head again.

At least the early start meant we avoided that slow build-up of tension that usually makes derby day the most stressful of fixtures. This game always matters, and losing on your own patch is unthinkable. There’s no denying Spurs fans were worried coming into this game — since the team took a 10-day break they’d turned in two performances, against Burnley and Chelsea, in which they’d looked mentally and physically tired. From looking, a little ambitiously maybe but still looking, upwards to the top of the table to looking down at the chasing pack — a week is a long time in football.