Burnley 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs falter on Harry Kane's return

Burnley 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs falter on Harry Kane's return

Chris Wood has scored six goals in his last eight Premier League games

Tottenham's Premier League title challenge suffered a huge blow as they were beaten by Burnley at Turf Moor.

The Clarets opened the scoring shortly after the break as Chris Wood rose highest to head home Dwight McNeil's inswinging corner.

Harry Kane, making his first appearance since 13 January, equalised after latching onto Danny Rose's quick throw-in and poking past Tom Heaton, before Ashley Barnes tapped in Burnley's second late on.

The match ended amid drama as the frustrations of Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino spilled over at the final whistle.

The Argentine, who earlier was clearly unhappy about the awarding of the corner that led to Wood's opener, angrily confronted referee Mike Dean before being by pulled away by Burnley's Phil Bardsley.

Spurs stay in third place, five points behind Liverpool who face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Burnley rise to 13th and are now six points clear of the relegation places.

Kane scores on return as Spurs falter

Tottenham should have been buoyed by the return of Kane, who made his first appearance since picking up an ankle injury in January's defeat to Manchester United.

But he struggled to get into the game in a first half that saw him on the end of several hefty challenges by Ben Mee and James Tarkowski. When he did escape their attentions, he fired wide from the edge of the box and saw a header easily saved by Heaton.

He improved in the second period, drawing a magnificent save from Heaton who sprang acrobatically to his right to keep out a swerving shot bound for the top corner.

But not even the in-form Burnley goalkeeper could deny Kane a goal on his return as he latched on to Rose's throw and poked home to level.

However, with Spurs pouring on the pressure late on the Clarets stood firm, with second-half substitutes Fernando Llorente and Erik Lamela both denied by blocks.

Battling Burnley's unbeaten run continues

Despite their excellent form - Burnley are one of only two unbeaten Premier League sides in 2019 - Sean Dyche's men were underdogs coming into this match.

That was mainly due to the fact they had taken just two points from their last 42 available at home against the established top six sides.

But the Clarets emphatically bucked that trend against Spurs.

The hosts were rarely troubled in a first half of few chances, and in the second they more than matched Spurs for chances.

Some suspect Spurs defending at a corner helped Wood open the scoring, although replays suggested the corner should not have been awarded as the ball appeared to come off Burnley's Jeff Hendrick last as he challenged with Jan Vertonghen.

Pochettino's frustration at the decision was mirrored by Dyche a short time later when Rose took a throw-in several yards upfield from where the ball went out of play and Kane ran through to tuck home the equaliser.

At that point Burnley may have been forgiven for sitting deep and taking a point, but they did anything but.

Ashley Westwood, Ashley Barnes and the impressive McNeil were all denied by Hugo Lloris before Barnes scored the decisive goal - tapping in from substitute Johann Berg Gudmundsson's pass.

The result means the Clarets have gone eight games without defeat - only Manchester United are on a longer unbeaten run - with any fears of relegation all but dispelled.

More to follow.

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