Tottenham 3 Bournemouth 1
Andoni Iraola’s side have been one of the form sides in the Premier League of late as they headed to North London. Ange Postecoglou was expecting a tough challenge as The Cherries had been sweeping sides aside, having won six of their last seven games.
Spurs started well and as Sarr burst through the middle, he fed the ball out wide to Johnson. The Welsh attacker spotted Son at the back post and delivered a cross of pinpoint accuracy but the South Korean striker sliced his shot wide of the goal.
Bournemouth were full of confidence and Christie played a ball in between the Tottenham defence for Ouattara to cross. He picked out Solanke six yards out in the middle of the goal but he got his header all wrong when he should have scored.
The visitors gave the ball away needlessly in defence and as Postecoglou’s side worked it to Sarr he found his way into the box before drilling it across Neto into the bottom corner. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium erupted as the net bulged.
Credit: @SpursOfficial
Defensively, Bournemouth were all over the shop and both Royal and Son had chances to double their lead but in both cases their shots were too close to the keeper and allowed Neto the chance to keep the hosts out.
Tavernier stepped up to take a free kick for Iraola’s team in a dangerous position but Richarlison got a head to the effort to send it inches wide of Vicario’s post. If Tottenham needed any warning of how dangerous The Cherries were in the final third, they were getting plenty.
Spurs’ defence was being opened up with the ease of a tube of Pringles and Kluivert was the next player to scuff a shot wide when he should have been working the keeper at the very least. Solanke could not react quickly enough to divert it into the goal.
Sinisterra managed to find Solanke in the box just before the break but Ben Davies slid in and got a timely deflection on the effort as it clipped the top of the crossbar on its way over the goal. The travelling fans must have been wondering just how many chances they planned on squandering.
The second half continued much like the first as a corner was whipped into the back post but Solanke’s header was parried away by Vicario. As hailstones pelted the players it summed up the visitors’ luck in front of goal.
Tottenham managed a rare counter-attack which saw Son slot in Richarlison with only the keeper to beat. The striker scuffed his shot well wide of goal leaving many wondering how this guy gets into Brazil squads, let alone starting. RIP Samba football.
Credit: @SpursOfficial
Sinisterra then weaved his way past the Tottenham team before finding Tavernier out wide. He crossed to the near post but somehow Solanke put the ball wide when it seemed easier to score. The Cherries’ striker was looking more like the player Liverpool offloaded in the capital.
Finally, as the rain poured down, Lo Celso found Son and the Spurs’ skipper slotted into the far corner to make the visitors pay for all their missed chances. It was always going to happen with Bournemouth firing blanks up top.
Richarlison then had another chance to put the game to bed but on this occasion, Neto made a fine save to deny him. Moments later Johnson picked out the former Everton striker and he slotted home at the near post, through the legs of the Bournemouth keeper.
Andoni Iraola’s side managed to finally convert one of their chances as Tavernier found the substitute Scott in the box. His first-time shot went into the bottom corner of the goal but it all seemed too little, too late for The Cherries.
Ange Postecoglou’s side almost added insult to injury as the ball was clipped back from the byline to find Gil no more than a yard out. Somehow the Spaniard headed against the crossbar which seemed more difficult to miss than score.
Spurs held on for the win and Bournemouth’s fantastic run ended abruptly. It left the North London outfit only three points off the top as the visitors slipped to twelfth in the league. On another day, this could have been a defeat for the hosts but the misfiring Cherries let them off the hook.
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