EPL: Swansea City 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Visitors claim controversial win thanks to Llorente and Alli
Tottenham move up to fifth in the Premier League thanks to a 2-0 win against bottom side Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino opted to leave in-form striker Harry Kane on the bench as he is suffering with a heavy cold, but his replacement Fernando Llorente proved an able deputy as he headed in a controversial goal early on to put the north Londoners ahead.
Swansea attempted to get back into the game and struck the woodwork in the second half, but Dele Alli settled matters with a second for Spurs a minute from the end of normal time.
The win takes Spurs above Arsenal on to 40 points, while the Swans remain rooted to the foot of the table and are now four points off safety.
Following a slow start to proceedings in torrential rain in south Wales, Spurs took the lead on 12 minutes.
Christian Eriksen swung a free-kick in from the left and Llorente, who was clearly in an offside position, got ahead of Federico Fernandez to power his near post header beyond Lukasz Fabianski.
Spurs continued to dominate the game without further troubling Fabianski, while Renato Sanches curled a free-kick over the top of Hugo Lloris’ goal with the Swans’ first real attempt of the game just after the half-hour mark.
Spurs almost snuffed out any hope of a Swans’ fight-back on 41 minutes when Llorente managed to get on the end of another inswinging Eriksen free-kick from the left with an outstretched boot, but could only divert his effort over the top.
Swansea responded well and Alfie Mawson’s looping header from a right-wing corner was punched clear by Lloris, who was again called upon seconds later to deal with another high ball into the Spurs area.
Swansea looked to put Spurs on the back foot in the opening stages of the second half but failed to trouble Lloris.
It was Eriksen who had the first meaningful effort of the half on 61 minutes when his right-foot free-kick from the edge of the area was parried away by Fabianski at his near post.
Moments later Eriksen whipped in another dangerous free-kick from the left which Fabianski had to be alert to push away on the far side.
On 65 minutes Luciano Narsingh was sent clear down the right and he advanced into the area but his strike from a tight angle was blocked by Lloris.
Spurs hit back and Alli was close to converting Eric Dier’s long ball into the area, but his flying header dropped just wide.
Swansea then stepped up a gear and Jordan Ayew burst into the area and just managed to evade the attentions of Lloris, but Ben Davis got in a vital block before Victor Wanyama completed the clearance.
From the resulting Tom Carroll corner on 71 minutes Mike van der Hoorn got up at the back post but watched as his header rebounded off the upright before being cleared.
Heung-Min Son almost put the game to bed for Spurs on 78 minutes when Kieran Trippier’s ball from the right dropped to him on the far side of the area, but his first-time side-foot volley bounced just wide of the far corner.
It was game over in the 89th minute when substitute Kane’s wonderful cross-field pass played in Alli down the right and, while Fabianski saved his initial strike, the ball rebounded back into the net off the Spurs man.
Swansea attempted to get back into the game and struck the woodwork in the second half, but Dele Alli settled matters with a second for Spurs a minute from the end of normal time.
The win takes Spurs above Arsenal on to 40 points, while the Swans remain rooted to the foot of the table and are now four points off safety.
Following a slow start to proceedings in torrential rain in south Wales, Spurs took the lead on 12 minutes.
Christian Eriksen swung a free-kick in from the left and Llorente, who was clearly in an offside position, got ahead of Federico Fernandez to power his near post header beyond Lukasz Fabianski.
Spurs continued to dominate the game without further troubling Fabianski, while Renato Sanches curled a free-kick over the top of Hugo Lloris’ goal with the Swans’ first real attempt of the game just after the half-hour mark.
Spurs almost snuffed out any hope of a Swans’ fight-back on 41 minutes when Llorente managed to get on the end of another inswinging Eriksen free-kick from the left with an outstretched boot, but could only divert his effort over the top.
Swansea responded well and Alfie Mawson’s looping header from a right-wing corner was punched clear by Lloris, who was again called upon seconds later to deal with another high ball into the Spurs area.
Swansea looked to put Spurs on the back foot in the opening stages of the second half but failed to trouble Lloris.
It was Eriksen who had the first meaningful effort of the half on 61 minutes when his right-foot free-kick from the edge of the area was parried away by Fabianski at his near post.
Moments later Eriksen whipped in another dangerous free-kick from the left which Fabianski had to be alert to push away on the far side.
On 65 minutes Luciano Narsingh was sent clear down the right and he advanced into the area but his strike from a tight angle was blocked by Lloris.
Spurs hit back and Alli was close to converting Eric Dier’s long ball into the area, but his flying header dropped just wide.
Swansea then stepped up a gear and Jordan Ayew burst into the area and just managed to evade the attentions of Lloris, but Ben Davis got in a vital block before Victor Wanyama completed the clearance.
From the resulting Tom Carroll corner on 71 minutes Mike van der Hoorn got up at the back post but watched as his header rebounded off the upright before being cleared.
Heung-Min Son almost put the game to bed for Spurs on 78 minutes when Kieran Trippier’s ball from the right dropped to him on the far side of the area, but his first-time side-foot volley bounced just wide of the far corner.
It was game over in the 89th minute when substitute Kane’s wonderful cross-field pass played in Alli down the right and, while Fabianski saved his initial strike, the ball rebounded back into the net off the Spurs man.