Tottenham 1-0 Bournemouth: Christian Eriksen's second-half strike downs the visitors as Mauricio Pochettino's men keep the pressure on at the top

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Harry Kane didn't score and Tottenham won in the Premier League at Wembley.

For their manager Mauricio Pochettino, it was the perfect antidote to the growing reputation that his side rely too heavily on their striker and struggle at their temporary home ground. He was keen to reinforce that point afterwards.

And a weight was lifted with this tight but welcome victory against a Bournemouth side who put virtually their whole team behind the ball.  


Christian Eriksen's composed second-half strike was enough to secure a 1-0 win over Bournemouth at Wembley Stadium

Christian Eriksen's composed second-half strike was enough to secure a 1-0 win over Bournemouth at Wembley Stadium

Eriksen started the second half in scintillating fashion when he wrapped his foot around the effort from just inside the box

Eriksen started the second half in scintillating fashion when he wrapped his foot around the effort from just inside the box

The Dane's strike came just after the break and Mauricio Pochettino's men continued to pile on the pressure thereafter

The Dane's strike came just after the break and Mauricio Pochettino's men continued to pile on the pressure thereafter

Eriksen celebrates with Dele Alli as he secures the win which keeps  pressure on the teams around them at top of the table

Eriksen celebrates with Dele Alli as he secures the win which keeps pressure on the teams around them at top of the table

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS AND LEAGUE TABLE

TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Lloris 6; Trippier 6, Alderweireld 6, Sanchez 6, Vertonghen 6; Winks 6, Dier 6; Eriksen 7.5, Alli 6 (Nkoudou 90), Son 6 (Sissoko 75); Kane 6 (Llorente 85) 

SUBS NOT USED: Vorm, Foyth, Aurier, Walker-Peters

BOOKINGS: Vertonghen

GOALS: Eriksen 47'

MANAGER: Mauricio Pochettino 7

BOURNEMOUTH (5-4-1): Begovic 6; A Smith 6 (Ibe 75), Francis 6.5, S Cook 6.5, Ake 6, Daniels 6; L Cook 6 (Mousset 83), Surman 6, Gosling 6, Stanislas 6 (Defoe 75); King 6.

SUBS NOT USED: Boruc, Pugh, Arter, Afobe

BOOKINGS: A Smith, L Cook 

MANAGER: Mauricio Pellegrino 

REFEREE: Robert Madley

ATTENDANCE: 73,502 

Season at a glance

  • Premier League
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Cherries manager Eddie Howe probably thought that if he stuck 11 men on Kane they might stop Tottenham's whole team. Instead Christian Eriksen found space to score the only goal two minutes into the second half to haul the spotlight away from the England forward.

'It's important that not only Harry Kane scores goals,' Pochettino said. 'The most important thing always is the collective performance, the group and winning games. It's important that different players score, too. 

'The first half was so difficult, they played very deep and we tried to find the space and tried to break them down but we made some mistakes.'

Until Spurs took the lead there was little on display to back up Pochettino's fiery pre-match rant against Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's notion that Spurs are 'the Harry Kane team'. 

Their first and only shot on target in the first half took until 33 minutes to arrive and it came from, of course, Kane. 

Harry Winks, who made an impressive showing during his England bow against Lithuania, shields the ball from Josh King

Harry Winks, who made an impressive showing during his England bow against Lithuania, shields the ball from Josh King

Hugo Lloris gets down well to tip the ball away from danger as a Bournemouth corner is deflected towards goal by Eric Dier

Hugo Lloris gets down well to tip the ball away from danger as a Bournemouth corner is deflected towards goal by Eric Dier

Spurs playmaker Alli unleashes a shot towards goal but it is blocked by Lewis Cook, who dives in front of it

Spurs playmaker Alli unleashes a shot towards goal but it is blocked by Lewis Cook, who dives in front of it

Alli hangs onto the goal posts as Harry Kane reacts to Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen's cross over the top

Alli hangs onto the goal posts as Harry Kane reacts to Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen's cross over the top

Eriksen is hounded down by the Cherries' King as he tries to carve out an attack for the hosts at Wembley

Eriksen is hounded down by the Cherries' King as he tries to carve out an attack for the hosts at Wembley

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe shouts from the sideline in an attempt to gee his team up after Spurs' early dominance

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe shouts from the sideline in an attempt to gee his team up after Spurs' early dominance

Who else was it going to be? Eriksen clipped a ball over Bournemouth's defence from out on the right flank, Kane's first touch was unusually poor and he failed to chest the ball into his path. It meant that he snatched at the finish and Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic pushed wide of goal.

The statistics were beginning to add weight to Guardiola's assertion that so riled Tottenham's manager. From 22 shots away from home in the league, Kane had six goals and Tottenham won all five games. At Wembley he'd had 22 shots, scored none and his side had not won once.

Against Bournemouth the Spurs striker played most of the first half as though he was under directive not to score, touching the ball only nine times — almost half his average involvement this season. His 31 touches by the time he was hooked for Fernando Llorente with five minutes remaining was his joint lowest this season.

But this was not Kane's show and the most satisfying thing for Pochettino was that it did not matter and that they still lifted the Wembley hoodoo that has been threatening to ruin their title chances.  

Adam Smith slides in and fouls Spurs' defender Vertonghen during a testing opening exchange at Wembley Stadium

Adam Smith slides in and fouls Spurs' defender Vertonghen during a testing opening exchange at Wembley Stadium

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino gives his side some tactical points from the sideline as his opposite number Howe watches on

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino gives his side some tactical points from the sideline as his opposite number Howe watches on

A Diwali Bangra Dance Group perform at half time during the clash between Tottenham and Bournemouth at Wembley

A Diwali Bangra Dance Group perform at half time during the clash between Tottenham and Bournemouth at Wembley

The Spurs players leave the tunnel at Wembley and walk out for the start of the second half against Bournemouth

The Spurs players leave the tunnel at Wembley and walk out for the start of the second half against Bournemouth

'It was so important to start to feel like you can win here in the Premier League, to feel that Wembley is your home,' Pochettino said.

Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris deserves credit for his role in that achievement, producing a world class save to keep the ball out when Toby Alderweireld directed Junior Stanislas's corner towards his own net from close range. The 18th-minute corner came when Adam Smith's cutback reached Stanislas and his first-time shot ricocheted off Davinson Sanchez. 

With Lloris flying to his right post, the ball deflected inches past the opposite upright. The Frenchman also saved with his legs when substitute Jermain Defoe shot at the near post with his second touch after coming it. 

'Hugo was unbelievable,' Pochettino said, then reiterated his point: 'The collective performance was good, I'm happy. Then of course we must be focused when Harry's scored it's Harry, when Hugo saves it's Hugo, or Toby or Sanchez or Vertonghen who were fantastic, too. 

'The effort always is collective and the happiness when you win always is the squad happiness. The players who were helping us on the bench, the players out injured, are so happy and are working hard and wishing always the best for the team.' 

And it was the hosts who started the second half the better of the two sides when Eriksen struck after 47 minutes

And it was the hosts who started the second half the better of the two sides when Eriksen struck after 47 minutes

Eriksen watches the ball head towards goal as the Denmark international opens the scoring against the Cherries

Eriksen watches the ball head towards goal as the Denmark international opens the scoring against the Cherries

Winks and Alli run to celebrate with the Danish playmaker after he breaks the deadlock to put the hosts one up

Winks and Alli run to celebrate with the Danish playmaker after he breaks the deadlock to put the hosts one up

Kane thought he had doubled the hosts' lead when he leaped to head past Asmir Begovic but he was adjudged offside

Kane thought he had doubled the hosts' lead when he leaped to head past Asmir Begovic but he was adjudged offside

Without Kane's contribution Spurs were inventive but indecisive in the first half. Dele Alli flicked into Eriksen's path and were it not for the Dane's poor touch he would have had a shooting chance but Simon Francis cleared. A left-hand-side corner was played deep to Eriksen on the right corner of the box and his touch and sublime half-volley picked out Alli, who tried to turn the ball in with an outrageous back heel over the bar.

Kane was involved in the goal, obviously, although his part was minor. The striker passed to Son Heung-min, who played the ball on to Eriksen. He ran into Francis, but the Bournemouth defender slid in and the ball bobbled fortuitously back into the Spurs man's path. Eriksen tucked it into the bottom left corner.

'We kept them so quiet in the first half, then out of nothing they scored and we contributed to our own downfall,' Howe admitted.

Kane thought he had netted his 16th goal in all competitions just before the hour when his simple header from Kieran Trippier's cross beat Begovic, but he was rightly ruled offside. 

A few minutes later he was one-on-one but delayed a shot until the last moment, allowing Begovic to block. Alli passed back to his team-mate but Kane was tackled. 

This time it was not about Harry Kane. 

Kane continued to make a nuisance of himself as he appeals for a penalty after he felt he was brought down unfairly

Kane continued to make a nuisance of himself as he appeals for a penalty after he felt he was brought down unfairly

The England international striker then lets off a shot just 12 yards out but Begovic is equal to the task and smothers the ball

The England international striker then lets off a shot just 12 yards out but Begovic is equal to the task and smothers the ball

Eric Dier winds up for a shot inside the Bournemouth box looking to extend Spurs' lead late on in the game

Eric Dier winds up for a shot inside the Bournemouth box looking to extend Spurs' lead late on in the game

Lloris and defender Toby Alderweireld congratulate each other on keeping a clean sheet and winning the game

Lloris and defender Toby Alderweireld congratulate each other on keeping a clean sheet and winning the game

Howe ensures he makes the effort to thank the travelling Bournemouth fans at the game following the defeat

Howe ensures he makes the effort to thank the travelling Bournemouth fans at the game following the defeat