Burnley relegated as Spurs keep Champions League hopes alive which saw Burnley Discuss Crucial Sacking Options
BURNLEY are relegated while are Spurs still in the running for a Champions League spot, thanks once again to Tottenham’s defenders showing their forwards how to score.
Pedro Porro and Micky Van de Ven scored a goal in each half as Spurs came from behind yet again, after Jacob Bruun Larsen had put Burnley ahead. It ended a run of four straight defeats for Tottenham, who have an outside chance of finishing fourth.
Vincent Kompany’s team needed victory to have a chance of staying up, and fell short in the end. Ange Postecoglou’s side, meanwhile, are aiming for a top four finish if Aston Villa slip up and Spurs win their remaining games, against Manchester City here on Tuesday and at Sheffield United on the final day. But if they keep missing chances like they did here, Spurs will struggle.
Both keepers made good saves before Burnley opened the scoring. Guglielmo Vicario made a fine stop to keep out a close range header from Vitinho in the fifth minute, before Arijanet Muric made an equally impressive save to stop Brennan Johnson’s goalbound half-volley soon afterwards.
Heung Min Son set up James Maddison for a shot that was deflected over, and the Korean shot weakly at Muric and then wide before Jacob Bruun Larsen broke the deadlock. Sander Berg led a break from defence, riding three weak attempted interceptions, before setting Larsen away on the right. The Dane cut in and shot past Vicario from 12 yards to give Burnley’s noisy band of fans hope.
With Richarlison ruled out before kickoff, Spurs looked lightweight in attack and yet again it took a defender to show the way to goal. Pedro Porro had scored with a long-range shot to knock Burnley out of the FA Cup earlier this season, and while this one was not as spectacular, it had the same venom as he charged forward and smashed the ball into the roof of the net.
Spurs should have had more before half-time, with Johnson hitting the sidenetting from a tight angle when Son was begging for a chance to tap in, and then the Korean had a fierce effort deflected away.
But Tottenham’s fragile defence will always concede chances, and early in the second half Lyle Foster had a shot deflected over before defender Maxime Esteve headed on to the roof of the net from the subsequent corner.
Johnson should have scored when he ran clear from the half-way line, but Muric made a good low save, and then the former Forest forward just failed to reach a cross from Son the fizzed across the goalmouth. Muric produced the save of the game in the 80th minute when Cristian Romero went rampaging forward to set up a chance for Pape Matar Sarr, whose fierce shot looked a certain goal until the Kosovan keeper somehow kept it out.
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