Match Report:Tottenham 3-1 Manchester City

A second-half burst from Tottenham saw them claim a vital three points in the race for the top four as they beat Manchester City 3-1.
Spurs made the brighter start, but it was City who took the lead on five minutes following great work on the right by Carlos Tevez and James Milner, the latter finding Samir Nasri in the box and the Frenchman fired in from 10 yards. Nasri almost doubled the lead a few moments later, latching onto Pablo Zabaleta's ball but he couldn't direct his effort goalwards due to good pressure from Hugo Lloris. That was the first of a string of saves the French keeper was forced to make, as after 38 minutes he got down low to his right to block an Edin Dzeko shot, before shortly saving smartly from a close-range Tevez header. The visitors continued to control proceedings in the second half and, although Spurs did push for an equaliser, the hosts struggled to create any real chances. However, that all changed on 74 minutes as, after good work from Walker, Gareth Bale angled a wonderful ball across the box and Clint Dempsey tapped in at the back post. Jermain Defoe then fired them into the lead five minutes later, cutting in from the left and smashing home. Bale then made it 3-1 after 81 minutes, latching onto Tom Huddlestone's through ball before exquisitely chipping over Hart to wrap-up a vital three points in his side's bid for a top-four spot.

Lazio face UEFA probe for 'monkey chants' against Tottenham

Italian side Lazio will face disciplinary proceedings after their fans were accused of racist behaviour during the Europa League clash at Tottenham, UEFA said on Friday.Monkey chants were aimed at three of Tottenham's black players, Jermain Defoe, Aaron Lennon and Andros Townsend during the game at White Hart Lane which ended in a 0-0 draw."UEFA has begun disciplinary proceedings against Lazio for 'improper conduct' by the club's supporters during Thursday's Europa League tie against Tottenham," said a UEFA statement."The Control and Disciplinary Body will meet on 18 October to discuss the case."Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas had said after the match that UEFA should take action if there was a case to answer.

"UEFA is very active on this kind of situation so and our overall objective is to kick racism out of football," said Villas-Boas.

Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Manchester United

Manchester United rode their luck before keeping the pressure on league leaders Manchester City with a 3-1 win at third-placed Spurs. But Tottenham, after being crushed 5-2 in last weekend's north London derby, must now be looking over their shoulders at the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Liverpool, as the race for a top-four place intensifies. It is definitely now a two-horse race for the title though as United are just two points behind Roberto Mancini's side again, but 11 clear of Spurs. However, the final scoreline did not tell the full story as Harry Redknapp's team dominated the first half and had a goal disallowed by referee Martin Atkinson for handball by Emmanuel Adebayor. The official ruled that the Togo international had used his arm to control the ball before flicking it into the net. It seemed harsh on Spurs but worse was to come as Wayne Rooney headed United ahead against the run of play on the stroke of half time from Ashley Young's corner. Redknapp's men seemed unperturbed by their misfortune as they continued to dominate the early stages of the second period but two goals by former Watford and Aston Villa star Young finally doused their enthusiasm. He doubled United's lead with a sweet volley from a tight angle on the hour mark before curling home a third goal past Brad Friedel nine minutes later. The result was never in doubt from that moment on, although substitute Jermain Defoe did grab a late consolation goal with a 20-yard effort after a rare Ryan Giggs error.

Match Report: Newcastle 2-2 Tottenham

Shola Ameobi scored an 86th minute equaliser to give Newcastle a 2-2 draw with Spurs in an end-to-end encounter at St James’ Park. The 30-year-old striker has been pushed out of Alan Pardew’s starting eleven by the partnership of Leon Best and Demba Ba but he was on hand late on to ensure the spoils were shared on Tyneside. Rafael Van Der Vaart opened the scoring for Tottenham four minutes before half-time when he converted a spot-kick won by Emmanuel Adebayor. But Newcastle were level just three minutes after half-time when Demba Ba was able to bundle home Jonas Guiterrez’s cross, although Brad Friedel could have done better to keep the effort out. Jermain Defoe looked like he had given Harry Redknapp’s men all three points after 68 minutes when he gather Scott Parker’s pass and rifled a left-footed strike past Tim Krul. But it was Ameobi who had the last word when he was able smash the ball into the back of the net after some sloppy play from the Spurs backline. Thanks to that late strike Newcastle remain fourth and are still unbeaten this season while Tottenham stay sixth with a game in hand.

Arsenal line up Sensational Jermain Defoe Bid

Arsenal will make a bid for Tottenham poacher Jermain Defoe, according to reports this morning.Gunners boss Arsene Wenger sees the 27-year-old England international as the perfect solution to a troubled striker department and will look to bring the frozen out White Hart Lane star to the rival London club.Last month, Defoe had told Sky Sports News of the possibility of leaving Spurs: "If you speak to any of the players and the fans, they will tell you that I am committed to the club."I love the club and I still get the same buzz that I did when I first walked out at White Hart Lane, which is important."But for me the main thing is playing football and if I am not playing football then I am not happy, because I love my football."Tottenham paid £15.75m to Portsmouth for Defoe two years ago and will look to recoup that fee for a deal to be struck.

Arsenal have been strongly linked with Lille striker Gervinho in recent days and with the club’s chief executive Ivan Gazidis declaring that the club will be busy in the market this summer, the capture of both players is not unthinkable.

Tottenham 1-1 Blackpool

A late 25-yard strike from Jermain Defoe earned Tottenham a point against Blackpool after the hosts had conceded two second-half penalties in a minute.Charlie Adam converted a 76th-minute spot-kick after Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes had fouled Gary Taylor-Fletcher.Gomes had saved a penalty moments earlier from the same player after Michael Dawson handled in the area.But Defoe struck powerfully past Matthew Gilks in the 89th minute to level a dramatic encounter.However, Tottenham could be without inspirational winger Gareth Bale for their remaining games - at Manchester City on Tuesday, at Liverpool on 15 May and at home to Birmingham on 22 May - after the Wales international left the pitch on a stretcher with an ankle injury following a rash Adam challenge.The result will frustrate the north Londoners, whose prospects of qualifying for the fourth and final Champions League place look increasingly bleak ahead of Tuesday's trip to Eastlands - City effectively need a point to deny Spurs a second successive top-four finish.
Tottenham, who have only won once in nine Premier League matches, were once again profligate in front of goal with Rafael Van der Vaart, Bale and Luka Modric all spurning excellent chances, especially in the early stages of the second half.
However, the result gives Blackpool fresh impetus in their quest to maintain their Premier League status with games at home to Bolton next Saturday and away to Manchester United on the final day of the campaign remaining.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp made two changes to the team that controversially lost to Chelsea, with Danny Rose making his first appearance in a Tottenham shirt in over a year at left-back, while Defoe replaced Aaron Lennon, who was dropped to the bench.
A lively first half saw both sides create good chances, but neither could produce a deft finish in front of goal as opportunities were squandered.
A thumping left-footed volley by Adam was brilliantly saved by Gomes in the 24th minute, while a Van der Vaart pass dissected Blackpool's back four and found Defoe, but the striker's run was a fraction too early as he was rightly adjudged offside before rifling the ball into the back of the net.
The hosts dominated the opening exchanges of the second half as the introduction of Lennon, on for the redundant Roman Pavlyuchenko, allowed Redknapp's men to play the kind of expansive game which enthralled fans at the start of the season.
England winger Lennon's pace opened up Blackpool's defence, but numerous opportunities could not be converted as the crowd's impatience began to show.
Gomes made yet another excellent save, this time to deny DJ Campbell from eight yards after good work from David Vaughan sent the striker through.
Bale's withdrawal increased the home faithful's worries - further exacerbated when Dawson was adjudged to have handled an Adam corner in the 75th minute.
But the Scotland midfielder's low strike was brilliantly saved by Gomes, diving to his left - only for the Brazilian keeper to concede a thoroughly needless penalty less than 60 seconds later when he chased a bobbling ball through a throng of players inside his own box.
Referee Lee Probert deemed that Gomes had obstructed Taylor-Fletcher and Adam stepped up and hammered his second penalty into the top-left corner.
But Defoe grabbed a late equaliser for Spurs when he collected the ball 30 yards out before unleashing an unstoppable drive into the bottom right corner for only his fourth goal of the Premier League campaign.