Video Reading 1 - 3 Tottenham Hotspur

If Andre Villas-Boas really is fighting to avoid the sack at Tottenham Hotspur, this was an emphatic display of faith from his players after the first victory of his regime.
Two goals from Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale's close-range effort ensured Villas-Boas is finally off and running as Reading suffered a harsh lesson and were condemned to their first defeat at the Madejski Stadium since January.
Villas-Boas was the subject of lurid headlines claiming he had three games to save his job earlier today but there was a vibrancy to Spurs here and this was not the performance of a team baffled by a new approach. His team already appear to be evolving under a new formation and they dominated a game that was well beyond last season's Championship winners.
While the other hot topic before kick-off was Brad Friedel retaining his place ahead of £15 million signing Hugo Lloris, it was Alex McCarthy who endured even more scrutiny. Only four minutes had passed and the Reading goalkeeper had already produced excellent saves from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen.
But he was unable to prevent Spurs from taking a 17th minute lead through Defoe, after another swift, incisive raid into enemy territory. Sigurdsson sent Aaron Lennon clear and his clever cutback presented Defoe with a chance he rarely misses to get Villas-Boas o

McCarthy's mistake almost allowed Spurs to increase their lead when he was caught dithering with the ball by Defoe but Sigurdsson's shot was cleared off the line - just about - by Chris Gunter. Reading were playing their first game in 25 days but were comfortably second best.
Brian McDermott, the Reading manager, introduced Adam Le Fondre for the second half in an attempt to ease Spurs out of cruise control but Spurs were always dangerous. Bale, who suffered such a chastening experience in Serbia on Tuesday night, was his usual effervescent self and drove narrowly wide before ensuring a fairer reflection of Spurs' superiority 18 minutes from time when he turned in Kyle Walker's cross.
Defoe added a third shortly after and though Reading did add a consolation through substitute Hal Robson-Kanu in injury time, the portents are promising for Villas-Boas.
Match details
Reading (4-5-1): McCarthy; Gunter, Gorkss, Pearce, Harte; McCleary, Karacan (Le Fondre half-time), Leigertwood, McAnuff; Guthrie (Robson-Kanu 83); Pogrebnyak (Hunt 83).
Subs (not used): S Taylor, Shorey, Mariappa, Cummings.
Spurs (4-2-3-1): Friedel; Walker, Gallas, Vertonghen, Naughton; Sandro, Dembele; Lennon (Townsend , Sigurdsson (Huddlestone 72), Balen (Dempsey 78); Defoe.
Subs (not used): Lloris, Caulker, Dawson, Townsend, Adebayor.
Referee: Howard Webb