Burnley 0 - 2 SpursTottenham close gap at top as Son Heung-min goal seals win at Burnley
Away team scorersEric Dier 66
Heung-Min Son 77
Without leading scorer Harry Kane, and bumped and bruised by Sean Dyche’s Burnley, they overcame the need to reshuffle their personnel and formation to claim a significant win.
Goals from Eric Dier and Heung-Min Son reduced Chelsea’s lead at the top to seven points with seven matches to play. The Tottenham’s fans’ cheers of “We’re coming for you” at 4.58pm suggested they believe the dream is alive.
Due to the reversal of their fixtures against Liverpool due to construction work at Anfield, this was only Burnley’s second Premier League contest at Turf Moor in their last seven. Few enjoy home comforts as much and here they were attempting to take their tally of home points into the 30s against the club likely to run Chelsea closest for the title.
Mauricio Pochettino showed due respect to opponents with nine wins and two draws on their own patch by playing Eric Dier in a back three to cope with the physical and direct threat Burnley pose. But, with their attacking fulcrum Kane absent through injury, their own adventure was diminished.
For the majority of the opening quarter hour Spurs’ formation actually resembled a 5-3-1-1, with wing-backs Kieran Trippier and Ben Davies forced into conservatism. Equally, it meant that Hugo Lloris remained well protected when Burnley slung aerial balls into his vicinity. One weak header was fielded comfortably on his line while Ashley Barnes glanced another wide.
At the other end, Vincent Janssen, without a top-flight goal from open play since joining in a £17m deal from AZ Alkmaar, once again looked off the pace as the focal point of the attack. And the only significant chance for the visitors in the opening half hour came from a 35-yard free-kick from Toby Alderweireld that arrowed into Tom Heaton’s midriff.
By this point, Chelsea were behind. There were muffled cheers from the away end. Yet there was no greater urgency from solid Spurs, who nevertheless should have been ahead in the 33rd minute.
Springing from deep, the visitors worked possession down the left flank: Davies knocked it inside to Dele Alli, who in turn invited Christian Eriksen into the hinterland between Burnley’s defence and midfield. The Dane skipped past Ben Mee’s anaemic challenge on the edge of the area, fizzed in a low cross that Heaton parried and then watched as Alli, anticipating expertly, somehow lifted over from eight yards on the follow-up.
As the interval approached it was not shaping up to be Tottenham’s day, as Victor Wanyama and Harry Winks were both forced off with knocks. Mauricio Pochettino – perhaps frustrated by the performance, undoubtedly angered by losing two of his starting XI before half-time – did not dwell in the dressing room, returning to the bench alongside assistant Jesus Perez several minutes before his team.
Tottenham, with Mousa Dembele and Moussa Sissoko thrown into the breach, utterly dominated from the resumption. But it was the shift of Dier into the heart of midfield that proved key.
Although Eriksen wasted a free-kick won when Janssen was bundled over by Michael Keane, and the Dutchman’s low drive and a Davies shot were turned aside by Heaton, Spurs’ monopoly on possession meant the chances kept coming.
It might have appeared their chance had gone when Janssen barrelled his way through the Burnley defence, and Sissoko slashed wide from the rebound.
But a moment of composure from Dier a couple of minutes later made it irrelevant. Eriksen’s corner travelled to the back post and when Jeff Hendrick failed to clear, Dier controlled with his first touch and stroked into the corner with his second.
And Tottenham’s players were back celebrating in front of their travelling support 11 minutes later when Alli found space on the right and centred for substitute Heung-Min Son to sidefoot in a second.
Guardian