Matthew Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 live

Tottenham are definitely trying to exploit the wide ball. Middlesbrough are playing very narrow with their full-backs tucking in to help their centre-halves, but that does leave them susceptible to the diagonal balls.

Image source, Getty Images

Toby Alderweireld clips a long one in the direction of Son Heung-Min but he will not catch that. Middlesbrough will be relatively happy so far. A few hairy moments but when they get their shape they are forcing Tottenham to think long and hard about what moves to make. It's a start.

Dan: Teams who wear a change strip for no reasons should be deducted points. No exceptions

Good point Dan. Why not the Boro red? I hadn't thought of that.

Image source, Getty Images

Not too sure what Lord Sugar is watching but Spurs have so far had three shots. 

Tottenham construct a neat triangle in the Middlesbrough half and a clever flick gets Kyle Walker in down the right... brilliant delivery... Harry Kane on it... no. Excellent defending in the goalmouth by Bernardo to wrestle his man and not let him reach the ball.

Image source, Reuters

James Ś A Watson: Never mind Valdes, what was Alli doing to him in the first place?

Tim Sherwood: Valdes should be off! Two pushes to the face, red card every day. Alli should have gone down.

Simon Goodall: Well that's Valdes with a three match ban. What an idiot. 

We begin to see a pattern emerge as the game spends a spell in the Middlesbrough final third. Christian Eriksen gets down the flank and his cross deflects dangerously into the six-yard box. It gets the no nonsense treatment from Ben Gibson... boosh.

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Matthew Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 live

It's been a great start to the game. Middlesbrough are winning the ball well in the middle of the park, then you see Calum Chambers overlapping Traore down the right flank, and it shows they've come here with intent to get a result.

Image source, Reuters

What is this? Now now, calm yourselves.

Victor Valdes and Dele Alli are having a right ding dong in the area. The Spanish keeper raises his hands and puts glove to face, not once but twice. Alli looks a little perplexed. Something has angered Valdes. I haven't seen anything to give the game away.

My guess is Alli's youthfulness means he picks a dodgy aftershave. Downright offensive.

Dele Alli times his run nicely across defenders but it's only the genius of the pass from Christian Eriksen which creates this chance. A lovely spot to zip the ball through bodies but with the angle narrowing, Alli can only lift the ball into the side netting.

Matthew Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 live

Is Adama Traore the fastest man in the Premier League?

The way he carries the ball up the pitch is priceless, he's a great outlet. 

That early Alvaro Negredo header shook Spurs up a bit. Again they look to land a telling blow, this time Ben Davies is down the left in acres but his low ball into the joyous corridor of uncertainty does not get the key goal-ending treatment.

Lovely stuff from Dele Alli, picking the ball up in between the away midfield and defence before lifting his head to pick out Son Heung-Min... BIG CHANCE... he shoots low and it's palmed away by Victor Valdes. No one on hand to gobble up the rebound, with Harry Kane lurking a couple of feet away.

Image source, AP

I very much like this Adama Traore gent. He's confident and direct, not to mention rapid.

As he progresses down the right flank, a fan is audible in yelling an expletive at him to describe his ability. He cares little and delivers a fizzed ball onto the head of Alvaro Negredo, who heads over. Half a chance.

Image source, Reuters

Harry Kane sprints up alongside Dele Alli to be slipped into the channel, he wins a corner but the flag is up. Lively start from Spurs with little show from it.

Matthew Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 live

Middlesbrough have only scored three in their last six games, and that's a problem for them. However, they are tight and difficult to break down. Today is going to be an interesting match-up.

If you are just joining us after dashing home from a game, here are the teams. Nothing crazy going on, two changes apiece.

Image source, .

Image source, .

I once sat next to a gent regularly at the football who only came to moan at the referee. I swear he didn't care about anything else. So in true spirit, let's get going by saying: "oh no, not Clattenburg..."

A huddle from the Tottenham players. They know there can be no more slips now. Their team is read aloud to some mediocre cheers. Harry Kane is yet to crack a smile. He's game face. It's like he's about to get it on in the Super Bowl - minus the face paint and dodgy lycra of course.