The story appears on

Page A16

December 16, 2019

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Sports » Soccer

Vertonghen leaves it late for Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur winger Lucas Moura’s brilliant solo strike and defender Jan Vertonghen’s late header sealed a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in an entertaining English Premier League game at Molineux Stadium yesterday.

It was Tottenham’s fourth league victory in five games under Jose Mourinho since the Portuguese took over last month and the result also snapped Wolves’ impressive 11-game unbeaten run in the competition.

Tottenham got off to the perfect start in the eighth minute when the lively Moura drifted past several Wolves defenders and smashed in a fierce right-footed shot that gave goalkeeper Rui Patricio no chance.

Vertonghen, who endured a torrid afternoon due to wave after wave of Wolves attacks, popped up for the winning goal in the first minute of stoppage time with a fine header from a corner to seal all three points for the visitors.

Wolves had earlier responded in emphatic fashion in the 67th when Adama Traore fired in from distance for his fourth league goal of the campaign, after the hosts had relentlessly pushed for an equalizer on a rainy afternoon.

Spurs could have earlier doubled their advantage in the 37th, but Eric Dier dragged a shot wide from close range and only managed to hit the outside of the post after Patricio had failed to clear his lines.

Spurs are now fifth on 26 points while Wolves are eighth two points behind.

In the day’s other early game, youngster Mason Greenwood continued his good run of form as he struck a late equalizer for Manchester United in its 1-1 EPL home draw with Everton after a Victor Lindelof own-goal had put the visitors ahead.

The 18-year-old striker, who netted a brace in United’s 4-0 Europa League win over Dutch side AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, came on for Jesse Lingard midway through the second half and levelled in the 77th.

Everton, which was on the back foot and had goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to thank for keeping United at bay, took a 36th-minute lead when home ‘keeper David De Gea misjudged a Leighton Baines corner and the ball cannoned in off Lindelof.

The goal was awarded after a quick Video Assistant Referee check as Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin had made contact with De Gea in the six-yard box.

United missed a string of chances as Lingard dragged his shot wide from close range 15 seconds into the game before Pickford parried a swivelling Rashford free kick and then a stinging drive from Luke Shaw.

Both sides could have grabbed a winner in the closing stages as Pickford kept out another vicious Rashford free kick before Alex Iwobi had De Gea at full stretch at the other end.

United is sixth with 25 points, with Everton 16th on 18 points.

Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said he waits to celebrate goals on the touchline because of VAR, after Sadio Mane’s effort was ruled out for offside in Saturday’s 2-0 EPL win over Watford.

Mane thought he had put Liverpool ahead 2-0 with a glancing header after Mohamed Salah had scored the opener, but the goal was ruled out as the VAR deemed that the Senegal international forward was marginally offside.

“I don’t celebrate goals anymore because you have to wait until somebody says it is a goal,” Klopp told reporters.

“As you can imagine, when you’re winning 2-0, I’m not too concerned about it. I had no clue where it was offside.

“I thought there was one pass before where maybe it was offside, but that Sadio was offside I couldn’t see.”

Liverpool’s victory, thanks to two superb goals by Salah, left the league leader 10 points ahead of its nearest challenger Leicester City, which was held 1-1 at home by Norwich City.

Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, who sustained a muscle problem on Saturday, was named in Liverpool’s 20-man squad for the Club World Cup in Qatar.

The European champion takes on Mexican side Monterrey in the semifinals on Wednesday.




 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend