Tottenham slip up against West Brom to leave Leicester one win from title
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Updated 25/04/2016 at 23:03 GMT+1
Premier League, White Hart Lane – Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Dawson OG 33) West Bromwich Albion 1 (Dawson 73)
West Bromwich Albion's English defender Craig Dawson (3rd R) scores his team's first goal during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion at White Hart Lane in London, on April 25, 2016.
Image credit: AFP
Leicester can win the Premier League with a win at Old Trafford on Sunday after Tottenham dropped two points at home to West Brom on Monday night.
A Craig Dawson own goal had given Mauricio Pochettino’s side a deserved first-half lead, but they were unable to capitalise further on the pressure and possession they had.
Tottenham peppered the West Brom goal in a one-sided opening 45 minutes, with Christian Eriksen and Mousa Dembele particularly influential.
The dominant hosts hit the woodwork three times – through Harry Kane, Eriksen and Erik Lamela – and went close on a number of other occasions, but were unable to stretch their lead and left themselves vulnerable to a set-piece sucker-punch in the second half.
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Tottenham's Harry Kane hits the post
Image credit: Reuters
And inevitably that proved to be the Baggies' way back into the game after Tony Pulis' side improved markedly after the break, with defender Dawson heading home at the right end 17 minutes from time to stun White Hart Lane.
Spurs were unable to raise a response in a disappointing end to the game and will now have to hope for a miracle to prise the league crown from Leicester’s increasingly firm grasp.
TALKING POINT
Have Tottenham run out of inspiration? Spurs have been brilliant this season, but their young and small squad was always going to struggle to keep up with the relentless pace that Leicester have set at the top of the table, and that was perfectly illustrated by the side’s lack of composure after the equaliser.
An absence of options off the bench also hurt Pochettino, with neither Nacer Chadli or Ryan Mason able to offer much and summer signing Heung-min Son still settling into the English game after an injury-stunted campaign. It would be churlish to criticise Tottenham for their minor flaws, but it has proved the difference in the last couple of months.
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West Brom's Craig Dawson (hidden) scores an own goal and Tottenham's as Jan Vertonghen looks on
Image credit: Reuters
MAN OF THE MATCH
Boaz Myhill (West Brom) – The Baggies stopper was the stand-out performer in a determined defensive effort by the visitors, making one outstanding save to turn Kane’s one-on-one effort on to the post and denying the home side on a number of other occasions.
PLAYER RATINGS
Tottenham: Lloris 5; Walker 6, Alderweireld 7, Vertonghen 7, Rose 6; Dembele 7, Dier 6; Lamela 6, Alli 5, Eriksen 7; Kane 6. Subs: Mason 5, Son 5, Chadli 5.
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Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld looks dejected after the game as Jan Vertonghen hugs West Brom's Sandro
Image credit: Reuters
West Brom: Myhill 8; Olsson 7, Yacob 5, Evans 6, Gardner 6; McClean 6, McAuley 5, Fletcher 6, Dawson 6; Sessegnon 6, Rondon 7. Subs: Sandro 6.
KEY MOMENTS
4’ – SAVE – It is Eriksen who takes the free-kick and his curling effort forces Boaz Myhill into a sprawling stop to tip the goal-bound shot around the post.
6’ – POST – Myhill makes an incredible save to deny Kane after a slick Spurs attack saw Alli put the striker clean through. Kane's shot was across the goalkeeper and the whole stadium waited for the net to bulge, but Myhill's strong right hand turned the ball on to the inside of the post to deny Tottenham an opening goal.
11’ – BAR – Rose is felled on the edge of the box and Eriksen again goes for goal from the set-piece. The Dane goes for the opposite top corner on this occasion and clips the bar with Myhill stranded.
19’ – SAVE – Myhill denies Kane again, although this time it’s more routine, with the keeper diving to his right to turn the England forward's long-range effort behind.
33’ – GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 West Brom: Tottenham Hotspur take the lead and it's a Craig Dawson own-goal. Eriksen's cross from deep was an awful one to face as a defender and Dawson, under pressure from Vertonghen, turned the ball past his own keeper from a couple of yards out. 1-0.
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Tottenham's Danny Rose is fouled by West Brom's Stephane Sessegnon
Image credit: Reuters
57’ – POST – Eriksen leaves Yacob for dead down the left and picks out Lamela with his cut-back. The Argentine does very well to react quickly and flick a shot past the keeper, but his effort comes back off the post and Kane is unable to reach the rebound.
62’ – WIDE – Rondon rises high in the box and gets on the end of a hopeful lofted cross, but the striker's towering header slides inches wide. That was something out of nothing from the centre-forward and a warning for Spurs about how perilous their lead is.
68’ – SAVE – Spurs break from a corner and Alli brilliantly curls a ball over the top towards the run of Eriksen. It looks set up for the midfielder to make it 2-0, but Myhill charges out of his box and a flying header beats the Dane to the ball.
73’ – GOAL! Tottenham 1-1 West Brom: Lloris comes out to claim a corner but doesn't get to the ball and Craig Dawson heads home (making it a goal at each end for the defender). It's 1-1 and Tottenham's title challenge is hanging in the balance!
STATS AND FACTS
Tottenham have dropped points in four of their last eight games.
In the same time Leicester have picked up six wins and two draws.
Relegated Aston Villa are the only side to have scored fewer Premier League goals than the 32 by West Brom this season.
The Baggies have scored 51 goals in 53 games in the Premier League under Tony Pulis. They have kept 21 clean sheets in that time.
MATCH IN A TWEET
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