Peter Crouch scored the most important and lucrative goal of his Tottenham Hotspur career to secure a 1-0 win at Manchester City on Wednesday that booked his side’s place in the Champions League.
Crouch headed home from close range on 82 minutes after Younes Kaboul had got the better of Craig Bellamy to leave City stunned as their bid to overhaul fourth-placed Spurs was blown to pieces.
The England striker’s eighth goal of the season could be worth up to £50 million (US$75 million) to Tottenham, who are guaranteed to finish at least fourth in the Premier League and can now look forward to competing against Europe’s elite for the first time since the 1961-1962 season.
PHOTO: AFP
Crouch’s effort left boss Harry Redknapp dancing a jig of joy on the touchline and opposite number Roberto Mancini stood in shock as his own dream of a top-four finish turned into a nightmare, but it was no more than the visitors deserved after dominating for large spells before Crouch pounced.
“Throughout the course of the season the boys have been fantastic, the whole squad, and we managed to get fourth, but we still have to qualify,” Crouch said. “I was in the right place at the right time. The ’keeper made a good save and I was in the right place just to nod it home. On the balance of play, we deserved to win.”
Redknapp was handed a massive boost before kick-off when captain Ledley King was passed fit to play, while England winger Aaron Lennon was also recalled to the starting line-up.
A frantic start saw City make the early running, with Carlos Tevez particularly threatening on his 100th Premier League start.
He produced two weaving runs that eventually came to nothing, but had the Tottenham back four scrambling to protect Heurelho Gomes’ goal.
Tottenham appeared content to soak up the pressure and hit Mancini’s men on the break.
With pace in abundance on either flank from Gareth Bale and Lennon, it seemed only a matter of time before the home side would find themselves stretched.
That was the case in the 18th minute when Bale’s deep cross to the back post found Crouch unmarked close to goal, but somehow his header from point-blank range came back off the upright with Marton Fulop stranded.
Moments later, Redknapp’s men thought they had taken the lead when King powered a header past Fulop and into the back of the net, but referee Steve Bennett ruled it out after penalizing the England defender for climbing on Gareth Barry.
Gomes was called into action at the opposite end on 27 minutes to deny Adam Johnson and keep the scores level.
Johnson picked up a loose ball 20m out and took aim before unleashing a raking drive, only to see Gomes tip it wide.
The Brazilian goalkeeper was in the right place again on 35 minutes to rescue the visitors after Bale threatened to deflect Barry’s cross into his own goal, while Kolo Toure twice headed off target as City’s frustration began to mount.
Tottenham were lucky to keep 11 men on the pitch on the hour mark when a melee between Nigel de Jong and Tom Huddlestone saw the visiting midfielder stamp on City’s enforcer. Bennett pulled Huddlestone to one side but, with home supporters chanting for him to show the Spurs player his marching orders, the official showed him a yellow card.
Spurs kept pressing and Benoit Assou-Ekotto looked to have set up the winning chance 20 minutes from time with a wicked cross from the left, but somehow the sliding duo of Defoe and Crouch both failed to make contact.
Crouch had another header saved by the impressive Fulop from close range, but just as the game appeared destined to remain scoreless Kaboul managed to escape the attentions of Bellamy and pick out Crouch, who nipped ahead of Vincent Kompany to beat Fulop with a clinical finish to spark wild celebrations in one camp and total despair in the other.
■POTTERS EDGE COTTAGERS
AFP, LONDON
Stoke City dampened Fulham’s spirits ahead of the Europa League final as Matthew Etherington’s late strike secured a 1-0 win at Craven Cottage on Wednesday.
Etherington’s goal meant Tony Pulis’ side played the party poopers in Fulham’s last home game before they head off to Hamburg to face Atletico Madrid in the final of Europe’s second tier competition next week.
The Cottagers have enjoyed a fairytale run in Europe this season, but they were brought back down to earth by the gritty Potters and will be looking for a positive performance at Arsenal on Sunday to go into the Atletico clash on a high.
After resting most of his stars in Sunday’s victory over West Ham United in the aftermath of their Europa League win over Hamburg SV, Roy Hodgson opted to restore his senior players to the starting line-up, although leading scorer Bobby Zamora was still sidelined with an Achilles injury.
Fulham’s request to have their final league game of the season brought forward to aid their preparation for next week’s Europa League final has been rejected by the English Premier League.
The decision means that Roy Hodgson’s squad must face Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday, three days before meeting Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final in Hamburg, Germany.
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