COLUMNIST KEN BUCKLEY

From my seat: Spurs (a)

A capital performance from the Blues see us sit proudly atop of the league, even at this embryonic stage it sounds and feels good.

No change in the line up from Saturday and I wondered how we would fair against the £40M Spurs strike force. After 3 mins, our pauper-like strike force, in comparison, had struck ? a wicked out-swinging cross from Arteta was met by the head of Lescott that sent a downward bullet header into the top corner.

The Spurs began to play with much more purpose and penned us back and Bent was causing some concern with his pace against Stubbs and their midfield sensing this went into the old Spurs push-and-run mode and in that spell you could just see a goal coming... yet when it did it was down to a moment of aberration from the otherwise excellent Lescott who ran under the ball rather than attacking it.

Would we now be over-run, could we respond? Inch by inch, yard by yard, we began to wrestle back some control in midfield aided by the excellent use of AJ's ability to run both channels and cause panic in their back four by holding the ball up whilst Ossie, Mikel and Big Vic worked hard to give him an option. Carsley and Neville guarded against quick breakaways and this slow but sure application of pressure saw reward when Arteta got free on the right via a fortuitious deflection and put over a delightfully 'dinked' cross to the far post where big Vic caused centre-back and keeper to clash and fall comically into the net while the ball fell to Ossie, who sized up the situation in a flash and left-footed balloned the net.

The rain still bucketed down but it was Blue rain and the Blue shirts whether defending or pushing on were as one and Spurs players and fans alike showed frustration.

This approach of applying pressure by feeding AJ in the channel and then backing him up worked again on the cusp of half-time when Arteta won a free kick in a somewhat central position and after a consultation period with Stubbs it was the centre-back's piledriver that found the net via a Spurs foot. Oh happy day! 3-1 up at the break.

No changes at half-time save for Yobo picking up Bent and Stubbs taking the out-of-sorts Berbatov. Cue end of any Bent pace threat. Spurs as expected flew from the traps and after three minutes Berbatov hit a post and that proved to be a significant point.

The Blues played the away game to perfection, everyone working for each other, quickly closing down all over the park, and always looking for that quick breakaway which kept Spurs nervous and us resolute. Jol tried to shuffle the pack but to no avail; Bent was hauled off in favour of Defoe who gave Howard one moment of glory by turning away his fierce shot.

By now, we ruled midfield and Spurs looked and played in a dispirited fashion not helped by a mass exodus of their fans while ours chanted 'were gonna win the league'.

Before the end, our breaks were cutting through what was left of a Spurs rearguard and the score could have reached six. I was almost willing AJ to get off the mark after his selfless performance.

Looking for a man of the match? Wll take your pick: Ossie would be up there but I would give it to THE TEAM who produced a night of togetherness where one could not do without the other.

A great start to the season... now if only we could get in a top-class midfielder, striker and wideman before deadline day then I think a few more teams will feel the power of the Blues. Not an easy task these days but here's hoping.

Reading next and another good test, I hope Yobo's limp was nothing serious and with a bit of luck the manager can call for same again. Top of the league with two games gone ? how nice would that be with two games to go! I'll keep on dreamin'... see you soon! UP THE BLUES

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