Christian Eriksen struck twice to earn Tottenham a deserved point in a thrilling Premier League 2-2 draw against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday.
Swansea twice led a pulsating contest before Danish international Eriksen snatched a point with two sublime free kicks.
The point keeps the north Londoners tied for seventh with Everton, who drew 1-1 at home to Liverpool earlier on Sunday, while Swansea lie 11th with two wins, four draws and two defeats from eight outings.
Having come in to the game without a win since the end of August, Swansea manager Garry Monk found himself under pressure for the first time since taking over from Michael Laudrup last year.
In contrast, Spurs were without an away defeat, in League and Cup football, since the opening day of the season when they lost at Manchester United.
The visitors started brightly and dominated a congested midfield third in which Eriksen was typically influential.
Playing at the top of a five-man midfield unit, the Dane occupied the thoughts of Swansea’s holding midfield pair of Jonjo Shelvey and Ki Sung-Yueng.
However, having soaked up plenty of early pressure, Swansea struck the first blow, after 15 minutes. Ghana’s Andre Ayew linked up neatly in midfield with Gylfi Sigurdsson before the latter picked out Jefferson Montero on the left. The Ecuadorian teased Kyle Walker before delivering the perfect cross for Ayew to head in at the far post.
Buoyed by that, Swansea finally found their feet with Shelvey, Ki and Sigurdsson enjoying far more ball in the middle third.
However, after Nacer Chadli had been denied by a smart stop at his near post by former Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, Spurs found themselves level.
Harry Kane scores own goal
Federico Fernandez was rightly penalised and yellow carded for a rash challenge on Alli, and Eriksen, from 25 yards, beat Fabianski from the ensuing free kick. The Swansea goalkeeper was less than pleased with his positioning and evidently, the end result.
Swansea took all of four minutes to restore their lead. Shelvey whipped in a corner from the left and Harry Kane, inexplicably, sliced the ball into his own net.
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Chances for Bafetimbi Gomis and Kane came and went in the early stages of the second half as both sides took off in search of the game’s fourth, and perhaps, most crucial goal.
When former Swansea full back Ben Davies man-handled Ayew, referee Mike Dean had no choice but to book the Welsh international. From the free-kick, Swansea created an attacking platform on which Ki was denied by a last gasp block.
Spurs were counting their blessings moments later when Gomis popped up, unmarked, at the far post after Shelvey’s corner was only half cleared. The Frenchman rose, unopposed, but headed wide from three yards. He then fired wide, on the hour, after once again, finding himself in space on the edge of the penalty area.
Having survived a period in which they barely had a chance of note, Spurs found themselves level, once more, via the gifted right boot of Eriksen.
Shelvey tripped Alli on the edge of the box and from almost the same position as he scored in the first-half, the Dane beat Fabianski once more.
Fabianski beat away Alli’s shot 15 minutes from time and as Spurs threatened to take all three points, Clinton N’Jie fired hopelessly wide and fellow substitute Andros Townsend was twice denied by the legs of Fabianski.
Then, in the final seconds of stoppage time, Hugo Lloris rose to somehow palm a Fernandez header on to the bar.
By AFP
