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Premier League | Gameweek 27
Feb 23, 2019 at 12.30pm UK
 
Spurs logo

2-1

Wood (57'), Barnes (83')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Kane (65')

In-form Burnley derail Tottenham Hotspur's title hopes at Turf Moor

In-form Burnley deal a damaging blow to Tottenham Hotspur's title hopes with a 2-1 victory over Mauricio Pochettino's side at Turf Moor.

Tottenham Hotspur's title hopes have taken a major blow this afternoon as Mauricio Pochettino's side fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Burnley at Turf Moor.

Spurs had the chance to close the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool to just two points for 24 hours at least, but goals from Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes - either side of an equaliser from the fit-again Harry Kane - saw the title hopefuls fall to a damaging defeat.

Tottenham remain five points adrift of the leading pair as a result, and that gap could grow to eight when Liverpool take on Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Burnley, meanwhile, remain unbeaten in the Premier League this calendar year and stretch their streak to eight games without defeat to move six points clear of the relegation zone.

Burnley striker Chris Wood wheels away in celebration after opening the scoring against Tottenham Hotspur on February 23, 2019© Reuters

Spurs were able to welcome talismanic striker Kane back into the starting lineup after seven games out through injury, but the England skipper was largely blunted in a tightly-contested first half as Burnley made things difficult for the title-chasing visitors.

One of the few openings that Spurs did create fell to Kane as he cut inside from the right flank before working space to shoot, only to pass his effort narrowly wide of the far post.

It took until the 33rd minute for either side to register a shot on target, and even then it was a tame strike from Christian Eriksen which Tom Heaton gathered with ease.

Burnley went straight up the other end and provided their best attacking moment of the first half when Jeff Hendrick cut a low ball back for Barnes, whose first-time curling effort from inside the area flew just over the crossbar.

It proved to be the final chance of a relatively uneventful first half, but the second began more encouragingly and it took a brilliant one-handed save from Heaton to keep out Kane's goalbound 30-yard thunderbolt five minutes after the restart.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane in action during the Premier League clash with Burnley on February 23, 2019© Reuters

Juan Foyth then failed to get a clean header on the ball from Eriksen's delivery as Spurs continued to apply the pressure in the opening stages of the second half, but Burnley took the lead against the run of play shortly before the hour mark.

The goal came in controversial circumstances as Burnley were awarded a corner when it should have been a goal kick, and Dwight McNeil's wicked delivery was met by Wood, who nodded the ball in off the underside of the crossbar for his sixth goal in his last eight Premier League appearances.

The home side's lead lasted only eight minutes before Kane marked his return with an equaliser, although once again it was not without controversy as Danny Rose stole yards before delivering the throw-in which provided the assist.

Kane latched on to that throw before driving into the box and sorting out his feet in time to stab a clever finish beyond Heaton and in off the post.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane scores against Burnley on February 23, 2019© Reuters

Burnley refused to let their heads drop, though, and they squandered a big chance to regain the lead just five minutes later when Hendrick fired narrowly wide of the far post after being teed up by a combination of Wood and Ashley Westwood.

Both Foyth and Phil Bardsley were perhaps fortunate to stay on the field following high, late challenges which Mike Dean - just one short of showing his 100th red card in the Premier League - only deemed worthy of yellow cards.

It was Burnley who continued to look the most likely to grab a winner despite Tottenham's need for all three points, and the hosts fired another warning of what was to come in the 77th minute when Wood's cross went all the way through to McNeil, who put his finish too close to Hugo Lloris.

The winner had an element of fortune about it when it did come as Johann Berg Gudmundsson's scuffed shot instead turned into an incisive pass, but Barnes's finish from close range was no more than the hosts deserved for their performance.

Burnley striker Ashley Barnes celebrates after scoring against Tottenham Hotspur on February 23, 2019© Reuters

Spurs struggled to produce a response to falling behind for a second time and only began threatening an equaliser in the four minutes of added-on time, with Eriksen firing one shot over and Erik Lamela failing to get enough power on a late close-range header.

Burnley held out for the win, though, as they became the first team outside the top eight to take any points off Spurs this season and continued their best run of top-flight form since 1966.

BURNLEY (4-4-2): Heaton; Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Hendrick (Brady 80'), Westwood, Cork, McNeil (Gudmundsson 80'); Barnes, Wood

TOTTENHAM (3-4-1-2): Lloris; Foyth, Alderweireld, Vertonghen; Aurier, Sissoko, Winks, Rose; Eriksen; Kane, Son

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Liverpool33228375324374
3Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle321551269521750
7Manchester UnitedMan Utd32155124748-150
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves33127144653-743
12Fulham34126165054-442
13Bournemouth33119134860-1242
14Crystal Palace3399154256-1436
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton33108153448-1430
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3337233188-5716


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