Tottenham Hotspur against Blackburn Rovers

Spurs are doing their best to close out this game by taking their time over set-pieces and trying to keep possession as best they can.

Tottenham are preparing their final change, with Defoe warming up on the sidelines.

...but instead of putting his foot through it and testing the keeper, he tries to chip the big American and only lifts the ball over the crossbar.

CHANCE FOR A HAT-TRICK! Keane is left one-on-one with Freidel after a good through ball from the left...

BLACKBURN SUB: Kuqi replaces Emerton; an attacking change from Hughes, with Kuqi giving Rovers a real physical presence up front.

Lennon fends off the challenge of Neill as he collects Carrick's pass and cuts in from the left, but his shot is weak and dribbles wide of Freidel's post.

Savage feeds a good pass in to the run of Bellamy, who tries to flick the ball inside to Pongolle; fortunately for Spurs, the ball deflects off the heels of King to safety.

Sinama Pongolle is adjudged to have pushed Dawson as he tried to get on the end of Bellamy's flick over the top of the Spurs defence.

WIDE! Jenas' free-kick flies through the Blackburn wall, but goes just the wrong side of the near post.

Todd becomes the third booking in the space of a couple of minutes as he is shown the yellow for blocking off Keane.

TOTTENHAM SUB: Murphy replaces Tiano; it will be difficult for the substitute to pick up the pace of this game; he only has ten minutes or so to impress.

Reid is booked for a tit-for-tat foul on Lee as the South Korean tried to break past him on the flank.

Emerton powers in to the penalty area but he can't pick out Pongolle with his pass.

Blackburn are still pressing and pressing, as they have done for most of this half; they deserve a point at least.

Lee is booked for bringing down Reid as the winger tried to pass him down the right.

Keane is furious not to earn a penalty when his flick inside the penalty area strikes Nelsen on the arm.

There have been some excellent individual performances this afternoon; Dawson, Keane, Reid, Bellamy - they have all been superb.

Emerton does very well to beat two players and get his cross in from the left, but Dawson heads clear.

Gray is booked for a late challenge on Lennon as the little winger tried to pass him in midfield.

What a second half we've had here at White Hart Lane; Blackburn have pressed and pressed and got back on level terms, but they then get hit by the sucker punch and Spurs are in front again.

GOAL! Lennon gets in behind the Blackburn defence and slides a wonderful pass across goal for Mido to slide it home at the back post.

Bellamy's eighth goal of the season is nothing more than Blackburn deserve; they have been brilliant after half-time.

GOAL! Sinama Pongolle benefits from a King error as he picks up his loose header and cuts a pass back to Bellamy, who smashes a low shot past Robinson.

Another free-kick is whipped in to the Spurs box, but Dawson heads clear.

Mark Hughes will have demanded more from his side at half-time, and they have really responded; they have been excellent since the break.

Blackburn are heaping the pressure on the home side; this time Reid's long-range shot is deflected over the crossbar for another corner.

SAVE! Robinson shows great agility to turn over Bentley's 25-yard drive. Corner. Great effort from the youngster.

Lennon is playing on the right, with Tiano moved back to his original position on the left wing. Jenas and Carrick sit in the middle for Spurs.

The Tottenham fans can sense that their team are under pressure; they are trying to get behind them, but their frustration is growing.

Mido's attempted cross in to the near post is deflected, and Freidel is forced to get down quickly to palm the ball out for a Spurs corner.

TOTTENHAM SUB: Davids is replaced by Lennon. Tbe pace of the game was just getting to Davids, and Jol has made an attacking change to try and wrestle control back.

Carrick has to come across and put the ball out for another Blackburn corner, but this time Spurs defend the set-piece well.

The game is very well poised at the moment; Blackburn are having the better of the play at the moment and are really pressing for the equaliser.

Neill does brilliantly to rob Keane of the ball and then beat two players. Unfortunately, he fails at the last when his pass out to Reid runs out of play.

Spurs don't really deal very well with successive Blackburn corners, though the away side can't get a shot away to test Robinson.

Emerton's dummy allows the ball to run through to Gray, but his shot is blocked on the edge of the area. Corner.

Gray is fouled needlessly by Tiano. Free-kick to Rovers on the halfway line.

Spurs seem to have switch to more of a diamond formation in midfield, with Tiano pushed a bit further forward.

Nelsen cuts out Davids' near-post cross. Another Spurs corner, but it is over-hit by Carrick and goes all the way over for a Blackburn goal-kick.

Carrick drives a superb left-foot pass in to the feet of Mido, but the striker doesn't quite realise how much time he has and mis-controls.

It has been a good start to the second half from both sides; the passing has improved and the front men are getting involved in the game a lot more.

Reid wins his side another corner when Lee cuts out his cross from the right. Jenas clears the danger at the near post.

Blackburn win a free-kick in a good position, but good pressure from Spurs means the visitors have to work the ball back to their goalkeeper.

Blackburn have moved Reid over to play on the side of Young, and are lofting a lot of high balls to their Irish winger, who towers over his marker.

Todd rather needlessly gives away a corner when, under pressure from Keane, he opts to put the ball behind.

Blackburn kick off the second half.

HALF-TIME: A good half. Lots more to come in the second period.

CHANCE! Bentley screws a shot wide from the edge of the penalty area after a lovely lay-off from Emerton.

A late flurry of action at the end of the half means Rovers are still in with a chance of getting something out of this game.

GOAL! Bellamy out-paces King and fires over a sensational cross from the right, and Sinama Pongolle plants a diving header past Robinson from six-yards out.

Several Rovers players complained to the referee that Keane might have handled as he bundled home the second goal, but replays look inconclusive.

GOAL! Mido blasts the ball goalwards, Freidel saves but the ball rebounds in to the net off some part of Keane.

Nelsen handballs after mis-controlling right on the edge of his own penalty area. Free-kick in a very dangerous spot. Mido and Davids stand over the ball...

Sinama Pongolle lays the ball off to Bentley to shoot from distance, but Dawson blocks bravely on the edge of the box.

Blackburn have seen so much of the ball, but they have been pretty dreadful going forward and Spurs have coped with everything very easily.

King and Sinama Pongolle chase down a ball in to the channel, but it is the Spurs defender who wins the battle and clears for a throw.

Bentley is spoken to by the referee after a tackle from behind on Davids.

But if Rovers want to get back in to this game, they are going to have to improve their passing in to Bellamy and Florent Sinama Pongolle; they have had nothing to work from so far.

The two sides have been fairly evenly matched; only that moment of brilliance from Keane separates them.

Bentley's pass out to Emerton from left to right is over-hit and goes out for a throw to Spurs.

CHANCE! Florent Sinama Pongolle can't direct Nelsen's header goalwards from only two yards out; he looked a little flat-footed, but it was a great chance.

Bellamy wins his side a corner when he plays the ball off the legs of Stalteri.

Carrick is doing an excellent job in front of the Spurs back four, much as he did for England in midweek; his distribution is outstanding.

Neill combines with Emerton on the right, but his attempted through-ball to Sinama Pongolle is woefully over-hit.

Carrick curls the corner in to the middle, but Freidel claims at the second attempt. He tries a quick throw out to Bellamy, but it is mis-directed.

Jenas feeds Mido down the left; the Egyptian fires over a low cross, but Savage slides in to cut the ball out. Corner.

Blackburn have had plenty of the ball since they went behind, but I can't remember them even having a single shot on goal in this half.

Keane goes off for a moment to change his boots. His old pair had mud on them. God forbid.

Bellamy drives at the heart of the Tottenham defence, but King sticks out a boot and flicks the ball away as he prepared his shot.

Tottenham have a spell when they see plenty of the ball in the final third, but the Rovers defend do well to repel three or four attacks before finally clearing their lines.

Davids attempts a back-heel inside his own half; he gifts possession back to Rovers, but fortunately for him nothing comes of his mistake.

Bentley does very well to beat a couple of challenges down the left and send over a cross, but Blackburn have got no-one in the middle; they need to show a little more ambition.

Florent Sinama Pongolle has been almost anonymous so far; the on-loan Liverpool striker is really struggling to get himself in to the game.

Florent Sinama Pongolle has been almost anonymous so far; the on-loan Liverpool striker is really struggling to get himself in to the game.

Emerton sends over a hopeful cross from the right, but Spurs are able to deal with it with some ease.

Todd shows good strength to hold off Jenas as the battle for a ball down near the corner flag.

Of course, this is a match with a lot at stake, with both clubs chasing European spots; both managers will even be eyeing the final Champions League spot.

Blackburn have responded well to going a goal down; they have had a lot of the ball, but are remaining patient; they aren't just throwing it long, hoping for a lucky break.

Blackburn win their first corner of the match, but the ball is delivered too deep for Reid to be able to control at the back of the area.

Savage and Bentley are coming in for some stick from the home fans; Bentley because he is a former Arsenal player, and Savage, well...just because he is Robbie Savage.

Keane is unlucky to be adjudged off-side as he tries to get on the end of Tianio's pass from the left; a really close decision from the linesman.

Keane does well to set up Davids on the edge of the penalty area, but his shot is blocked before it can trouble Freidel.

The game probably needed a goal to open it up; there was a real danger that these two sides would cancel each other out, but now Rovers will have to attack a little more.

I really can't impress highly enough the quality of Keane's goal; breathtaking skill from the new Ireland captain.

GOAL! A quite stunning individual effort from Keane puts the home side in front; he brilliantly flicks the ball over Savage in the area before beating another man and drilling a shot under Freidel.

I don't think it is going to be a very open game this afternoon; there is little space for anyone to create anything, so quick is the closing down.

As always in the Premiership, the first goal will go a long way to determining the outcome of this game; rarely do sides concede first and come back to win in this league.

Both sides have made bright starts, without quite clicking; Rovers are really making an effort to close the Spurs midfield down when they have the ball.

Spurs were heavily represented in the midweek internationals; as has been widely reported, at one point during England's match against Uruguay, there were five Tottenham players on the pitch.

Young-Pyo Lee wins his side the first corner of the game when Neill's tackle goes behind, but Blackburn defend the set-piece well.

Young-Pyo Lee has been all the way to South Korea for a friendly in midweek, but seems as fit and fresh as always.

The kits are very, very similar; it really could become a major problem for the players. I'm having real trouble telling who is who - and I wear spectacles.

There has been some confusion with the kits this afternoon; Blackburn were told by the Premier League to play in their blue-and-white home shirts, meaning there is something of a kit-clash.

Tottenham kick off on a cold, bright afternoon in north London.

Hi, welcome to our coverage of Blackburn's Premiership trip to Tottenham.

Lee is booked for bringing down Reid as the winger tried to pass him down the right.

Keane is furious not to earn a penalty when his flick inside the penalty area strikes Nelsen on the arm.

There have been some excellent individual performances this afternoon; Dawson, Keane, Reid, Bellamy - they have all been superb.

Emerton does very well to beat two players and get his cross in from the left, but Dawson heads clear.

Gray is booked for a late challenge on Lennon as the little winger tried to pass him in midfield.

What a second half we've had here at White Hart Lane; Blackburn have pressed and pressed and got back on level terms, but they then get hit by the sucker punch and Spurs are in front again.

GOAL! Lennon gets in behind the Blackburn defence and slides a wonderful pass across goal for Mido to slide it home at the back post.

Bellamy's eighth goal of the season is nothing more than Blackburn deserve; they have been brilliant after half-time.

GOAL! Sinama Pongolle benefits from a King error as he picks up his loose header and cuts a pass back to Bellamy, who smashes a low shot past Robinson.

Another free-kick is whipped in to the Spurs box, but Dawson heads clear.

Mark Hughes will have demanded more from his side at half-time, and they have really responded; they have been excellent since the break.

Blackburn are heaping the pressure on the home side; this time Reid's long-range shot is deflected over the crossbar for another corner.

SAVE! Robinson shows great agility to turn over Bentley's 25-yard drive. Corner. Great effort from the youngster.

Lennon is playing on the right, with Tiano moved back to his original position on the left wing. Jenas and Carrick sit in the middle for Spurs.

The Tottenham fans can sense that their team are under pressure; they are trying to get behind them, but their frustration is growing.

Mido's attempted cross in to the near post is deflected, and Freidel is forced to get down quickly to palm the ball out for a Spurs corner.

TOTTENHAM SUB: Davids is replaced by Lennon. Tbe pace of the game was just getting to Davids, and Jol has made an attacking change to try and wrestle control back.

Carrick has to come across and put the ball out for another Blackburn corner, but this time Spurs defend the set-piece well.

The game is very well poised at the moment; Blackburn are having the better of the play at the moment and are really pressing for the equaliser.

Neill does brilliantly to rob Keane of the ball and then beat two players. Unfortunately, he fails at the last when his pass out to Reid runs out of play.

Spurs don't really deal very well with successive Blackburn corners, though the away side can't get a shot away to test Robinson.

Emerton's dummy allows the ball to run through to Gray, but his shot is blocked on the edge of the area. Corner.

Gray is fouled needlessly by Tiano. Free-kick to Rovers on the halfway line.

Spurs seem to have switch to more of a diamond formation in midfield, with Tiano pushed a bit further forward.

Nelsen cuts out Davids' near-post cross. Another Spurs corner, but it is over-hit by Carrick and goes all the way over for a Blackburn goal-kick.

Carrick drives a superb left-foot pass in to the feet of Mido, but the striker doesn't quite realise how much time he has and mis-controls.

It has been a good start to the second half from both sides; the passing has improved and the front men are getting involved in the game a lot more.

Reid wins his side another corner when Lee cuts out his cross from the right. Jenas clears the danger at the near post.

Blackburn win a free-kick in a good position, but good pressure from Spurs means the visitors have to work the ball back to their goalkeeper.

Blackburn have moved Reid over to play on the side of Young, and are lofting a lot of high balls to their Irish winger, who towers over his marker.

Todd rather needlessly gives away a corner when, under pressure from Keane, he opts to put the ball behind.

Blackburn kick off the second half.

HALF-TIME: A good half. Lots more to come in the second period.

CHANCE! Bentley screws a shot wide from the edge of the penalty area after a lovely lay-off from Emerton.

A late flurry of action at the end of the half means Rovers are still in with a chance of getting something out of this game.

GOAL! Bellamy out-paces King and fires over a sensational cross from the right, and Sinama Pongolle plants a diving header past Robinson from six-yards out.

Several Rovers players complained to the referee that Keane might have handled as he bundled home the second goal, but replays look inconclusive.

GOAL! Mido blasts the ball goalwards, Freidel saves but the ball rebounds in to the net off some part of Keane.

Nelsen handballs after mis-controlling right on the edge of his own penalty area. Free-kick in a very dangerous spot. Mido and Davids stand over the ball...

Sinama Pongolle lays the ball off to Bentley to shoot from distance, but Dawson blocks bravely on the edge of the box.

Blackburn have seen so much of the ball, but they have been pretty dreadful going forward and Spurs have coped with everything very easily.

King and Sinama Pongolle chase down a ball in to the channel, but it is the Spurs defender who wins the battle and clears for a throw.

Bentley is spoken to by the referee after a tackle from behind on Davids.

But if Rovers want to get back in to this game, they are going to have to improve their passing in to Bellamy and Florent Sinama Pongolle; they have had nothing to work from so far.

The two sides have been fairly evenly matched; only that moment of brilliance from Keane separates them.

Bentley's pass out to Emerton from left to right is over-hit and goes out for a throw to Spurs.

CHANCE! Florent Sinama Pongolle can't direct Nelsen's header goalwards from only two yards out; he looked a little flat-footed, but it was a great chance.

Bellamy wins his side a corner when he plays the ball off the legs of Stalteri.

Carrick is doing an excellent job in front of the Spurs back four, much as he did for England in midweek; his distribution is outstanding.

Neill combines with Emerton on the right, but his attempted through-ball to Sinama Pongolle is woefully over-hit.

Carrick curls the corner in to the middle, but Freidel claims at the second attempt. He tries a quick throw out to Bellamy, but it is mis-directed.

Jenas feeds Mido down the left; the Egyptian fires over a low cross, but Savage slides in to cut the ball out. Corner.

Blackburn have had plenty of the ball since they went behind, but I can't remember them even having a single shot on goal in this half.

Keane goes off for a moment to change his boots. His old pair had mud on them. God forbid.

Bellamy drives at the heart of the Tottenham defence, but King sticks out a boot and flicks the ball away as he prepared his shot.

Tottenham have a spell when they see plenty of the ball in the final third, but the Rovers defend do well to repel three or four attacks before finally clearing their lines.

Davids attempts a back-heel inside his own half; he gifts possession back to Rovers, but fortunately for him nothing comes of his mistake.

Bentley does very well to beat a couple of challenges down the left and send over a cross, but Blackburn have got no-one in the middle; they need to show a little more ambition.

Florent Sinama Pongolle has been almost anonymous so far; the on-loan Liverpool striker is really struggling to get himself in to the game.

Florent Sinama Pongolle has been almost anonymous so far; the on-loan Liverpool striker is really struggling to get himself in to the game.

Emerton sends over a hopeful cross from the right, but Spurs are able to deal with it with some ease.

Todd shows good strength to hold off Jenas as the battle for a ball down near the corner flag.

Of course, this is a match with a lot at stake, with both clubs chasing European spots; both managers will even be eyeing the final Champions League spot.

Blackburn have responded well to going a goal down; they have had a lot of the ball, but are remaining patient; they aren't just throwing it long, hoping for a lucky break.

Blackburn win their first corner of the match, but the ball is delivered too deep for Reid to be able to control at the back of the area.

Savage and Bentley are coming in for some stick from the home fans; Bentley because he is a former Arsenal player, and Savage, well...just because he is Robbie Savage.

Keane is unlucky to be adjudged off-side as he tries to get on the end of Tianio's pass from the left; a really close decision from the linesman.

Keane does well to set up Davids on the edge of the penalty area, but his shot is blocked before it can trouble Freidel.

The game probably needed a goal to open it up; there was a real danger that these two sides would cancel each other out, but now Rovers will have to attack a little more.

I really can't impress highly enough the quality of Keane's goal; breathtaking skill from the new Ireland captain.

GOAL! A quite stunning individual effort from Keane puts the home side in front; he brilliantly flicks the ball over Savage in the area before beating another man and drilling a shot under Freidel.

I don't think it is going to be a very open game this afternoon; there is little space for anyone to create anything, so quick is the closing down.

As always in the Premiership, the first goal will go a long way to determining the outcome of this game; rarely do sides concede first and come back to win in this league.

Both sides have made bright starts, without quite clicking; Rovers are really making an effort to close the Spurs midfield down when they have the ball.

Spurs were heavily represented in the midweek internationals; as has been widely reported, at one point during England's match against Uruguay, there were five Tottenham players on the pitch.

Young-Pyo Lee wins his side the first corner of the game when Neill's tackle goes behind, but Blackburn defend the set-piece well.

Young-Pyo Lee has been all the way to South Korea for a friendly in midweek, but seems as fit and fresh as always.

The kits are very, very similar; it really could become a major problem for the players. I'm having real trouble telling who is who - and I wear spectacles.

There has been some confusion with the kits this afternoon; Blackburn were told by the Premier League to play in their blue-and-white home shirts, meaning there is something of a kit-clash.

Tottenham kick off on a cold, bright afternoon in north London.

Hi, welcome to our coverage of Blackburn's Premiership trip to Tottenham.