Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of Tottenham versus Stoke, or as some critics are calling it, ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

We’re underway…

Here is the belated team news:

STOKE: Sorensen, Huth, Woodgate, Shawcross, Wilson, Shotton, Whelan, Whitehead, Etherington, Walters, Crouch. Subs: Begovic, Jones, Fuller, Upson, Delap, Jerome, Palacios.

TOTTENHAM: Friedel, Walker, Kaboul, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Parker, Modric, Bale, Van der Vaart, Adebayor. Subs: Gomes, Giovani, Defoe, Bassong, Corluka, Sandro, Pienaar.

It’s a lively start, as Shotton breaks through on goal and shoots just wide from a difficult angle.

Stoke go close again as Etherington shoots straight at Friedel, after finding himself in a promising position. It’s been a bright start for the home side.

Bale makes a characteristic surging run down the left wing and his dangerous cross is well-cleared out for a corner by the Stoke defender.

GOAL FOR STOKE!

Walters muscles Gallas out of the way, nodding it on to Crouch, who does well to keep it in play and pass it across the goal to the onrushing Etherington, who slots it in comfortably. They’ve deserved that, owing to their fantastic start to the game.

Tottenham are currently living up to their reputation for not exactly relishing the more physical aspects of the game. They have yet to adjust to the frantic tempo of the match, and are second best in every area of the field.

William Gallas’ lack of physicality was badly exposed for the Stoke goal, with Walters easily brushing him aside. Will they be left to rue the enforced absence of Ledley King, as has so often been the case in the past?

A tame shot from distance by Rafael van der Vaart is comfortably saved by Sorensen. Meanwhile, Stoke look dangerous every time they get the ball in the Spurs box, with the visitors’ defence appearing decidedly edgy at the moment.

Whelan crunches into Modric, before Woodgate takes out Lennon and is booked for the challenge. Nice to see Stoke performing with their trademark roughness.

Spurs are beginning to establish a foothold in this game, with Sorensen getting down well to parry a powerful Modric shot.

By the way, if you haven’t heard yet, Sunderland beat Blackburn 2-1 in the day’s other Premier League game, as Martin O’Neill got off to a winning start at the Stadium of Light.

Spurs have one famous fan who’ll be cheering them on, and he wasn’t too happy the last time they were beaten by Tony Pulis’ men…

YouTube credit: evolved77

Stoke are defending incredibly deep, with every player in their half when Tottenham attack. I’m unconvinced they can play in such a manner for the entire game without conceding.

GOAL FOR STOKE!

A trademark long throw is headed on by Walters into the path of Etherington, whose mishit shot finds the back of the net. Scott Parker – who has had a rare poor performance – was culpable, letting Etherington run in ahead of him.

HALF TIME: STOKE 2-0  TOTTENHAM

So, half time and surely Tottenham’s excellent winning run is about to come to an end.

It has been vintage Stoke, as the home side have caused Spurs numerous problem with their physicality and direct style of play.

Tottenham, on the other hand, have been well below-par, with star players such as Emmanuel Adebayor and Rafael van der Vaart seeming disinterested at times.

Moreover, the visitors have – not for the first time – badly missed the assured presence of Ledley King in their defence.

One note of encouragement for Irish football fans to take from the first half will be in the way Glenn Whelan has stopped Luka Modric from pulling the strings in midfield, sticking tight to the Croatian and consistently challenging him in a firm but fair manner.

I think it’s safe to say Harry Redknapp wasn’t best pleased with that first half performance…

We’re underway again and Tottenham have made two changes. Defoe has replaced Lennon and Bassong has come on for Assou Ekotto, with Spurs seemingly opting to play three at the back now.

And despite the changes, the second half has begun in a similar fashion to the first, with a Stoke long throw causing problems in the Tottenham box.

Walters’ cross to Crouch is well headed away by Kaboul. No sign of a Tottenham revival yet.

Modric’s corner is headed well over by Bassong, who really could have done better in that instance.

Kyle Walker’s cross is badly overhit and goes out of play. The visitors have looked short on ideas in attack for once.

Bale’s dangerous cross is diverted away for a corner thanks to a Ryan Shawcross diving header.

PENALTY FOR SPURS!

STOKE 2-1 TOTTENHAM: Adebayor scores following Whelan’s clear trip on Modric. Clumsy play from the Irish international, who holds his head in hands, having given away a penalty that could prove decisive in this game.

And it’s a just reward for Spurs, who have been far better in this second half.

Adebayor shoots agonisingly wide for Spurs, who also had a decent shout for another penalty, as Kaboul appeared to be impeded by Shawcross. A case of the referee evening things up perhaps?

Stoke aren’t exactly rushing to retrieve the ball whenever it goes out of play, unsurprisingly.

And the winner of the most cringeworthy pun of the day award goes to…

Cleared off the line by Shawcross’ elbow. Stoke are really riding their luck at the moment.

Another penalty claim, as Defoe claims his shot was blocked by a hand.

Replays show that it did strike Whitehead’s arm, though a penalty would have been extremely harsh.

Bale delivers the ball right across the face of the goal, but no one can connect with it, much to Harry Redknapp’s dismay.

RED CARD FOR KABOUL!

Very harsh decision. Kaboul – who had already been booked – knocks over Walters somewhat innocuously, and receives a second booking as a result of the challenge.

Friedel does well to parry Shawcross’ header from a corner over. Tottenham have looked extremely suspect when defending set pieces today.

Delap replaces Woodgate, and Palacios comes on for Etherington, while Giovani Dos Santos makes a rare substitute appearance for Spurs in place of Rafael van der Vaart.

5 minutes of stoppage time will be played.

Sky have given Peter Crouch the Man of the Match award. I personally would have given it to Walters, given how he was integral to both Stoke goals.

Stoke have virtually every player in their box now, as they look to see the game out.

FULL TIME: STOKE 2-1 TOTTENHAM

Great display from Stoke, who just about deserved their victory on account of their admirable courage and endeavour, despite a strong second half comeback from Spurs.

Tony Pulis’ men move into 8th position, and seem set for another season of mid-table comfort.

Tottenham, meanwhile, will be immensely frustrated, having failed to really get started until the second half. Moreover, it’s a result that will lead most people to suspect that talk of Harry Redknapp’s men launching a serious title challenge has been a tad premature.

So that’s twice Stoke have beaten Tottenham this season, in addition to securing draws against Chelsea and United. The old cliché about the Britannia Stadium ‘not being an easy place to visit’ is certainly proving to be the case in recent months.

Sky’s experts-in-residence are in disagreement over the Spurs penalty. Peter Reid feels Modric dived, while Dwight Yorke says it was a definite penalty.

“I wouldn’t want to comment on what I thought of the referee’s performance,” says Harry Redknapp, having just highlighted every single decision that went against Tottenham today.

To be fair, they were hard done by in a number of instances.

Okay, that’s it from me. Thanks for reading and for your comments. I’m off for a cuppa and a lie down following another day of frantic and exciting Premier League/Heineken Cup action.