Spurs hold on to edge past Saints

Tottenham Hostpur have closed the gap at the top of the Premier League to 10 points but they were made to work for it before edging out Southampton 2-1 at White Hart Lane.

First-half goals from Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli - the latter a controversial penalty - proved enough to give Mauricio Pochettino's side their 10th league win in-a-row on home turf.

With Harry Kane missing for the next few weeks, Spurs demonstrated that they have other players who can get the goals required to secure a Champions League qualification position but they were made to work for it by Claude Puels' team, who were impressive, particularly in the second half.

James Ward-Prowse's goal not long after the break set the scene for a tight end to the game but Spurs held on to move seven points clear of fifth-placed Manchester United, albeit having played a game more, while Southampton remain 10th.

The hosts took the lead early on when Mousa Dembele’s pass was collected by Eriksen and the Dane only needed half a yard of space to control, turn and fire an excellent striker into the bottom corner of the net.

Spurs, with Dembele and Eriksen to the forefront of affairs, were in control and they almost had a second when the Dane’s corner was met by Toby Alderweireld but the Belgian was denied a goal against his former club by a great save from Fraser Forster.

The Saints were gradually proving more of a threat on the break and they should have been level when Nathan Redmond’s clever cutback landed straight into the path of Dusan Tadic but from six yards out the Serb fired his first-time effort yards over Hugo Lloris’ crossbar.

On 32 minutes the home side went two goals clear, Alli tricking the referee to win a spot-kick and the same player got up to convert from 12 yards.

Southampton got back into the game six minutes after the break when sloppy defending from their opponents allowed Ryan Bertrand to skip down the left and his cross was eventually met by James Ward-Prowse and the midfielder celebrated his call-up to the England squad by sweeping the ball past Lloris.

The game became stretched as the increasingly confident Saints began posing lots of questions for Spurs, who retreated for a period deep into their own half trying to hold firm and hit their opponents on the break.

The north Londoners began to reassert themselves, pushing further up the pitch and although the remainder of the game was far from comfortable – particularly for the nervy home crowd - Southampton never had Spurs in real danger of conceding an equaliser.

By Nick Royle

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