Walker hands Spurs derby victory

Kyle Walker
12 April 2012

Kyle Walker wrote himself in to Tottenham folklore by scoring a 30-yard screamer to give Harry Redknapp's team a 2-1 victory in Sunday's north London derby against Arsenal at White Hart Lane.

Against the run of play, Tottenham took the lead through Rafael van der Vaart just before half-time, but Aaron Ramsey's tap in just after the restart made it 1-1.

The game seemed destined for a draw until the ball fell to Walker 17 minutes from time and the right-back hammered a bullet of a shot that flew past Wojciech Szczesny.

Spurs should have gone ahead in the seventh minute when Alex Song's misplaced pass allowed Van der Vaart to play in Scott Parker in but he drove straight at Szczesny.

Arsenal then went on to dominate for the next half hour but failed to make the pressure count.

Their best chance of the first half came soon after when Gervinho, in yards of space inside the box, side-footed wide from Robin Van Persie's cross.

The Gunners' wastefulness did not go unpunished either, with van der Vaart putting Spurs in front five minutes before the interval. The Holland international chested down Emmanuel Adebayor's cross-field ball - although there were suspicions of offside - and volleyed past Szczesny.

Buoyed by the opener, Gareth Bale tried two audacious attempts that flew just over.

Their joy was to be shortlived, however, as Song, given too much space by Van der Vaart, ventured in to the box from the byline and cut back for Ramsey who turned in.

The game went in to a bit of a lull until Walker sprung it in to life. The ball fell to the youngster 30 yards out following Song's block on Luka Modric's shot and the full-back hammered a bullet of a shot which flew past Szczesny's out-stretched hand. That proved the decisive goal as Tottenham claimed the points.

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