Son Powers Spurs To Premier League Second Place

By Max Wise

Tottenham Hotspurs moved within four points of the Premier League summit with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday, courtesy Son Heung Min's 83rd minute strike. 

The match day-25 early kickoff game looked destined to end in a draw when a dreadful error by Newcastle goalkeeper, Martin Dubravka, allowed Son Heung Min's strike to give the North London club a 1-0 win over the Magpies.

Tottenham's win takes them above Manchester City, who do not play until Sunday, into second place on the Premier League table.

Tottenham again without the injured influential duo of Harry Kane and Dele Alli had to rely on the South Korean Son Heung Min to give them victory seven minutes from time to cap a dominant afternoon.

Lucas Moura had the game's best chance for the opening goal in the 15th minute when he headed wide from seven yards after being picked out by Eric Lamela's cross.

Spurs came close again in the 23rd minute but Eric Lamela headed Verthongen's cross onto the crossbar.

Salomon Rondon responded for the Magpies after the restart when he hit the foot of the post from DeAndre Yedlin's cross after the Venezuelan had done everything right to score.

Heroic defending by Fabian Schaar prevented Christian Eriksen from giving Tottenham the lead in the 65th minute as the Swiss centre back brilliantly cleared the ball off the line after a Spurs corner.

After surviving by the skin of their teeth at one end, Newcastle nearly took the lead just a minute later but World Cup-winning goalkeeper Hugo Lloris dived high to his left to palm away Ayoze Perez's strike.

Substitute Fernando Llorente provided Spurs with a different dimension after coming on, and it was his knockdown that provided Spurs with the opening they so badly craved.

Son Heung Min provided the breakthrough when he received Llorente's pass and found space to hit a low dipping shot that went through Dubravka's hands for the only goal of the game in the 83rd minute.