If this turns out to be as close as Tottenham comes to the title this season (and between ourselves, it probably is), at least they can say they went down swinging. Beaten (thanks to Balotelli), and bloodied perhaps (again, thanks to Balotelli)…but definitely not broken. They fought like Lions in this one, clawing their way back from 2-0 to be 2-2 and looking to all and sundry like the more likely winners. If it was a fair world they would have been. It is not a fair world. Their demise came at the hands of a rising footballing icon. This defeat will not be easy to swallow.
There has always been a fine line between entertainer and douchebag – and let’s be honest here, Mario Balotelli has been walking it all season long. In stamping on Scott Parker’s head though, he may have finally tiptoed a little too far toward the douchebag side. Antics are only funny after all, until somebody gets their head split open, and whilst the laughter may not have stopped completely at the sight of Parker lying stricken and bloodied, it certainly became more awkward.
Adding insult to injury, Balotelli went on to win a penalty in injury time, and cool as you like, slot home the winner in a dramatic, memorable clash. But should he have even been on the field? Not according to Harry Redknapp, who didn’t leave too much doubt about his stance on the matter when he said “He kicked Scott Parker in the head. He does it a lot. He back-heeled him in the face and cut his head.”
Difficult to argue that is too because, you know, he did.
Still and all – the show goes on, and whilst Tottenham fans will sink at this result, the rising Blue Moon army will be delighted. The Spurs stood as the last best hope of a team outside Manchester taking the title this season and with that threat gone, nothing now stands between United and City as they fight it out for supremacy. After years of playing sidekick to the Red Devils’ superhero teams, they now get what they wanted most of all – a one on one duel to determine who the best Manc is.
In the words of the immortal Cosmo Kramer…Giddyup.
