Tottenham 2 Arsenal 0
Tottenham: Alli (55’) Kane (58’ PEN)
Man of the match: Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham)
Come the end of the season there is a strong chance, as things stand right now, that Tottenham Hotspur are going to fall short in their bid to win the Premier League title.
But even if it is second place that Mauricio Pochettino’s side have to be content with, Sunday is likely to be a day that will sit long in the memory of Tottenham fans.
By deservedly beating Arsenal they ensured they will finish above their north London rivals for the first time since 1995, highlighting just how far forward they have progressed under Pochettino.
Tottenham had gone into the match seven points adrift of Chelsea following their London rivals having won at Everton earlier in the day.
There were few signs, however, that Tottenham would wilt under the pressure of needing the three points to realistically keep their title hopes alive as they pushed forward in search of the opening goal.
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Read more
■ Chelsea: Antonio Conte's crowning glory is near with firm hold of title race
■ Manchester United: Another stalemate puts top-four bid in jeopardy
■ Round-up: Sunderland relegated after Hull clinch draw at Southampton
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Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen both went close in the first half, but it took until the 55th minute for the hosts to take the lead.
Eriksen showed excellent footwork to waltz past Kieran Gibbs and Laurent Koscielny inside the box, with Alli on hand to turn home the rebound after the Dane’s initial shot was saved.
The jubilant Tottenham fans did not have to wait long for another: just 146 seconds later, Harry Kane converted from the penalty spot after being brought down by Gabriel.
That was the end of the scoring, with Tottenham securing their 17th clean sheet and 16th home victory of the campaign in their penultimate game at White Hart Lane, ahead of a season at Wembley Stadium next year before moving to a new stadium in 2018/19.
Pochettino’s charges have still not been beaten at their own stadium since May 2016, but despite this impressive win, Tottenham remain huge outsiders in the race for the title.
A trip to Goodison Park was the largest remaining hurdle for Chelsea, whose final four fixtures see them face Middlesbrough, Watford and Sunderland at Stamford Bridge, as well as West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.
Tottenham, by contrast, still have to play West Ham United, Leicester City and Hull City on the road, with their last ever match at White Hart Lane coming against Manchester United in two weeks’ time.
Yet in many ways, their response to last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea has been impressive for reasons that go beyond the battle for this year’s championship crown.
Tottenham collapsed after a disappointing result against the same opponents this time last season — their 2-2 draw with Chelsea handed the title to Leicester City — but have demonstrated terrific resilience and character to follow up that Wembley defeat with back-to-back victories over Crystal Palace and Arsenal.
Those two triumphs mean Tottenham will finish as runners-up at the very least, with Chelsea aware that they cannot afford any slip-ups as they attempt to hold off a team who have now won nine in a row in the Premier League.
For Arsenal, a place in the top four now looks a tall order, while severe question marks remain about their 3-4-2-1 formation, Arsene Wenger’s approach in big games, and the Frenchman’s future.
Victory in the FA Cup final against Chelsea on May 27 may yet salvage something from what has otherwise been a dire campaign, but there is no longer any doubt over which of these two sides rule supreme in north London.
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