Tottenham Hotspur yesterday had two men sent off and failed to make sure of a Premier League top-four finish after slipping to a 1-0 defeat by AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
With Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United — Tottenham’s rivals for third and fourth — not in action until today, a win for Spurs on the south coast would have sealed a top-four finish and qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
They dominated early on in the sunshine at the Vitality, but found Premier League debutant goalkeeper Mark Travers in inspired form for the hosts as the 19-year-old made a string of fine saves.
Photo: AP
Tottenham’s task was made all the more difficult two minutes before the interval when forward Son Heung-min was sent off for pushing Jefferson Lerma, while halftime substitute Juan Foyth lasted 125 seconds before seeing red for a lunging tackle.
Bournemouth struggled to make their numerical advantage count until Nathan Ake climbed highest to meet a corner and head a dramatic winner in the 90th minute.
Spurs, who trail Ajax 1-0 going into their Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday, stayed third, two points clear of Chelsea and four ahead of Arsenal with the top-four race set to go to the final day of the season.
On Friday, Everton kept their slim hopes of a top-seven finish alive as they recorded a fourth consecutive victory at Goodison Park by defeating Burnley.
The Toffees have seen off Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United on their patch recently — by an aggregate score of 7-0 — and two goals in three first-half minutes proved decisive against the Clarets.
Burnley defender Ben Mee got a telling final touch to Richarlison’s strike, while Seamus Coleman headed in on the rebound as Everton ran out 2-0 winners in both sides’ penultimate fixture of the campaign.
The win moved Everton up to eighth and to within a single point of Wolverhampton Wanderers in seventh — a position that will seal a UEFA Europa League berth next season if Manchester City beat Watford in the FA Cup final later this month.
Wolves yesterday could extinguish coach Marco Silva’s stated aim of European competition with a win over already relegated Fulham, but this was an impressive way to sign off at home from Everton.
Just as it seemed the visitors had weathered the early onslaught, they fell behind in the 17th minute as their backtracking defense gave Richarlison an invitation to rifle beyond Tom Heaton.
The Brazilian’s left-footed strike from the edge of the area took a slight deflection off the unfortunate Mee.
Burnley’s luck worsened as Everton increased their lead moments later.
Lucas Digne’s rasping effort from a similar distance was parried back into the danger zone by Heaton, allowing Coleman, just onside, to stoop to head into an empty net.
Everton’s second seemed to rouse Burnley, who thought they had pulled one back when Ashley Barnes expertly steered Robbie Brady’s ball into the area across Jordan Pickford, only for the assistant referee to flag for offside.
Burnley showed more purpose in the early stages of the second half than they did in the whole of the opening 45 minutes.
Chris Wood’s low first-time strike was saved by Pickford, while Brady’s teasing ball into the area caught Johann Berg Gudmundsson unaware, leading to the ball spooning over the bar.
Burnley could not find a way back into the match, with Everton claiming an eighth clean sheet in their past 10 top-flight fixtures.
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