Tottenham’s bid to take over at the top of the Premier League was thwarted by West Ham on Wednesday night. Michail Antonio’s first-half goal condemned Mauricio Pochettino’s in-form side to a 1-0 defeat, their first away from home since the opening day of the season.
Spurs knew victory would take them above Leicester to the summit for the first time this season, as well as send out a huge statement in the race for the title.
Instead they ran into a West Ham side determined not to give their fierce rivals a reason to celebrate in the final London derby under the lights at Upton Park.
The Hammers head to the Olympic Stadium next season but they will miss nights like this with their famous old ground rocking as they ended Tottenham’s run of six straight wins.
0 - Against West Ham, Spurs failed to hit a single shot in a PL first half for only the second time in the past 13 years. Freeze.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 2, 2016
Antonio will certainly miss the place – all six of his goals for West Ham this season have come at home. The latest arrived in the seventh minute, when Dimitri Payet swung in a corner and Antonio met it with a powerful near-post header which Hugo Lloris got a hand to but could not keep out.
Tottenham, having become the masters at coming from behind this season, had plenty of time to respond – but this time they could not find a way back.
Arsenal suffered a major blow in the Premier League title race as struggling Swansea came from behind to win at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners had a chance to close on leaders Leicester but lost at home to the Swans for the third time in four years to leave Arsene Wenger’s men six points off top spot in third place.
Joel Campbell opened the scoring for the hosts in a game they dominated, hitting the woodwork three times over the course of the night, but it was Swansea who were left smiling as Wayne Routledge and Ashley Williams scored the goals to seal a 2-1 win that moves them six points clear of the bottom three.
Liverpool gained some measure of revenge for their League Cup penalty defeat to Manchester City by coasting to a 3-0 win over Manuel Pellegrini’s men at Anfield.
Goals from Adam Lallana, James Milner and Roberto Firmino left City clinging onto their top-four place by their fingernails after another desperate league show. Recalled goalkeeper Joe Hart was arguably at fault for Liverpool’s first which Lallana drilled home in the 34th minute, and seven minutes later Milner added the second after a superb through-ball by Firmino.
The Brazilian made it three after 57 minutes when he took advantage of an inch-perfect pass from man-of-the-match Lallana to complete the one-sided win.
Manchester United left it late to join City on 47 points with Juan Mata’s 83rd-minute free-kick edging his below-par side past battling Watford at Old Trafford.
The visitors had all the chances with Odion Ighalo coming close on the stroke of half-time and Etienne Capoue also firing just over the crossbar.
Despite starting again with man-of-the-moment Marcus Rashford, Louis Van Gaal’s men fashioned precious few opportunities and looked set for another night of frustration until Mata struck.
Stoke forward Xherdan Shaqiri’s winner nine minutes from time consigned Newcastle to a sixth straight away league loss and kept them mired in the relegation zone.
The Magpies, back in action after 18 days off, arrived at the Britannia Stadium having not picked up a point on the road since a December 13 win at Tottenham.
A point would have lifted them out of the bottom three, and they were on course to ensure a share of the spoils at the Britannia Stadium before Shaqiri popped up with a moment of magic in the Potters’ 1-0 win.
The Swiss international collected substitute Mame Diouf’s lay off and smashed a left-footed attempt beyond Rob Elliot. It was enough to earn Mark Hughes’ side a third win on the spin, yet they needed a fantastic one-handed save from Jack Butland to repel Seydou Doumbia in stoppage time.
