LONDON – Harry Kane struck from the penalty spot to give Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 victory over struggling Middlesbrough at White Hart Lane on Saturday.
The win reduced Spurs’ gap on Premier League leaders Chelsea, who beat Arsenal 3-1 earlier in the day, to nine points.
Spurs outclassed Middlesbrough throughout, but took almost an hour to transfer their dominance to the scoreboard, England striker Kane firing home a 57th-minute penalty after Son Heung-Min was felled in the box by Bernardo.
Middlesbrough had their chances to equalise, with Alvaro Negredo firing an acrobatic scissors kick wide with five minutes to go and Marten De Roon’s injury-time shot also going close.
The win leaves Spurs, who travel to Liverpool next weekend, in second on 50 points, nine behind Chelsea and three ahead of North London rivals Arsenal, while Middlesbrough remain 15th on 21 points.
* West Brom beat Stoke City 1-0 on Saturday as James Morrison’s early tap-in spoiled the homecoming of Saido Berahino in his debut for the visitors.
Berahino was booed onto the pitch by home fans angered at their former goal-king’s protracted bid to force a move, when he eventually came off the bench with 30 minutes to go.
After three transfer windows where the 23-year-old had tried to get away, he joined Stoke last week for £12 million, but found himself immediately back at his old team.
Mark Hughes started with Peter Crouch and Marko Arnautovic in attack but to little effect.
Stoke dominated the early play and were relieved by a linesman’s off-side flag after Salomon Rondon slotted home on five minutes.
Almost immediately the Baggies raced upfield again as Nacer Chadli’s quick thinking through ball set up Morrison to score on six minutes.
The teams started the day eighth and ninth in the Premier League, but West Brom are now seven points ahead on 36 to Stoke’s 29 from 24 games.
* M’Baye Niang scored one and set up another goal in an eye-catching performance as Watford beat 10-man Burnley 2-1 on Saturday in their Premier League clash.
Victory for the Hornets – for whom captain Troy Deeney scored their opener – eased their worries of being dragged into a relegation battle as a second successive win, having beaten Arsenal on Tuesday, sees them 10 points above the drop zone.
Burnley, who had Ireland international Jeff Hendrick sent off in the sixth minute, are nine points above the bottom three but have a measly one point from a possible 33 on their travels this season.
Hendrick was sent off for a horror tackle on Jose Holebas.
Four minutes later and it went from bad to worse as French forward Niang, on loan from AC Milan, set up Deeney, who headed the ball home.
Burnley were largely insipid save for one effort by veteran Joey Barton, whose shot was tipped over the bar by Heurelho Gomes.
Niang’s class and silky skills shone and he was to get the goal his performance deserved right at the end of the first half, gliding in to send a glancing header past Heaton.
The visitors gave themselves a chance of gaining an improbable point when Ashley Barnes converted a penalty – only Burnley’s fifth away goal of the campaign – awarded for handball against Sebastian Prodl 12 minutes from time.