Tottenham let in an 89th-minute equalizer Sunday to draw 1-1 at Sunderland, missing a chance to move further clear of local rival Arsenal in the English Premier League standings.
In Sunday's other game, Joey Barton scored one goal and set up two more in Manchester City's 3-2 win against Charlton that moved it up to ninth.
Tottenham, which is chasing a first appearance in the Champions League, led through Robbie Keane's 38th-minute goal until a mistake by defender Paul Stalteri gave Daryl Murphy the chance to salvage a point.
Murphy cut inside Canada rightback Stalteri, who tried to shield the ball rather than pass back to the goalkeeper or kick it out of play. Murphy got around him and prodded the ball past England 'keeper Paul Robinson from a tight angle for his first club goal.
Jermaine Jenas had a chance to win it for Spurs in the third minute of injury time, but he fired over the bar after the ball had dropped to him 8m from goal.
"We have to learn and we have to grow up," Spurs manager Martin Jol said. "I think we did OK, but we should have killed them off. We didn't play well enough to score two or three goals but we did score one. If you don't kill them off they are always capable of scoring against you."
Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy said he thought his team deserved a point.
"I think justice was done with the result," McCarthy said. "The players have kept going for me all the time and they got their reward."
Tottenham is four points clear of fifth-place Arsenal, which tied 1-1 with Bolton on Saturday. Arsenal has played one game fewer and is at Liverpool on Tuesday. Third-place Liverpool, which won 1-0 at Wigan on Saturday, is three points further ahead.
Spurs are 21 points behind leader Chelsea, which lost 3-0 at Middlesbrough on Saturday -- its second league loss of the season.
Sunderland's 10th point of the season leaves it still 16 points away from safety and with eight to make up on next-to-last Portsmouth.
Goalkeeper Kelvin Davis had saved from Keane and Aaron Lennon before Spurs went ahead. Michael Carrick's through ball put Jermain Defoe clear down the right and the England striker crossed for Keane to tap in from 6m.
Sunderland could have leveled in the 62nd when Jon Stead broke down the left. His low cross eluded Robinson but Liam Lawrence was unable to make contact in front of an empty net.
Stuart Pearce came out on top against Alan Curbishley in a meeting of two managers being touted for the England job after Sven-Goran Eriksson steps down at the end of the World Cup.
Man City went ahead in the 22nd when Charlton's Bryan Hughes headed away Barton's right-wing cross, but the ball came to Richard Dunne who drove home a first-time shot from the edge of the area.
Charlton leveled when Darren Bent collected a through ball from Talal El Karkouri in the 50th and hit his 13th goal of the season.
City regained the lead three minutes later after Barton delivered another right-wing cross for Greek striker Georgios Samaras to head powerfully in from 10m.
It was 3-1 in the 62nd when Barton took the ball 30m out and let fly with a powerful shot that went in off the post.
Marcus Bent, no relation to Darren, headed in a cross for Charlton's second in the 66th, but City held on to climb two places in the standings. The Addicks remained 12th.
Chelsea's surprise loss at home to Middlesbrough allowed Manchester United to trim its lead to 12 points. The Red Devils posted a 3-1 victory at Portsmouth on Saturday.
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