Davis brace fires Saints past Spurs
Print Edition
TWO goals from Steven Davis gave Southampton a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, which missed the chance to confirm a second-place finish in the Premier League yesterday.
Less than 24 hours after watching Leicester City’s title celebrations, Spurs displayed familiar limitations as they again failed to kill off a team despite taking the lead after 15 minutes when Son Heung-min rounded Southampton keeper Fraser Forster.
Southampton always looked dangerous and equalized when Dusan Tadic controlled the ball deftly to set up Davies who flicked the ball home from close range after 31 minutes at White Hart Lane.
The same combination provided Saints’ winner halfway through the second half when Davies played a neat one-two with Tadic on the edge of the box and scored with a low shot that beat Hugo Lloris in his bottom corner.
Southampton climbed into sixth place, still in the hunt for a Europa League slot, while Spurs stayed second, three points ahead of arch-rival Arsenal which was playing Manchester City in a late match yesterday.
Harry Kane, the league’s top scorer with 25 goals, had a chance to move closer to the Golden Boot when he shrugged off Jose Fonte, only for Forster to block his strike from an acute angle.
Tottenham came close through a Jan Vertonghen header that was looping in until Virgil van Dijk flicked it off the line.
On Saturday, Jermain Defoe clinched a 3-2 victory for Sunderland at Chelsea that lifted the north-east club out of the relegation zone with two games remaining. Chelsea, the deposed champion 32 points behind Leicester, saw captain John Terry sent off in stoppage time.
Newcastle, which was held to by already-relegated Aston Villa to 0-0, was a point behind and has played a game more than Sunderland. Norwich was below Newcastle in the drop zone after losing to Manchester United 0-1.
Juan Mata’s goal for United took Louis van Gaal’s side within one point of Manchester City in the fourth and final Champions League place.
United next heads on Tuesday to West Ham, which was beaten by Swansea 4-1 in the penultimate game at Upton Park before the east London club moves into the Olympic Stadium.
Bournemouth, which has already secured a second season in the Premier League, drew with West Bromwich Albion 1-1, and FA Cup finalist Crystal Palace beat Stoke 2-1.
Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink expressed his sadness that Terry was set to be denied a proper Chelsea send-off after his red card at Sunderland.
The former England defender, who has been tipped to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer, will serve a two-match suspension after collecting two late yellow cards.
That means the 35-year-old Chelsea great will miss the midweek trip to Liverpool, and the final day visit of Premier League champion Leicester City, bringing an abrupt end to a near two-decade career at the London club.
“If he doesn’t play for Chelsea again, it is sad,” Hiddink said.
“Of course, we don’t know what his future is, but for this season it’s sad.”
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