Tottenham 3-1 Bournemouth: Spurs defeat visitors to close gap on top four

The match began with both teams having opportunities, and it only took nine minutes for Tottenham Hotspur to take the lead.

Rodrigo Bentancur intercepted Neto's careless pass, and Giovani Lo Celso passed the ball to Pape Matar Sarr, who took advantage and scored his second goal of the season, both of which were opening goals.

Bournemouth tried to quickly equalize but could only manage a shot from Marcus Tavernier that went wide. On the other end, Emerson Royal's powerful strike forced Neto to make a strong save.

Unfortunately, Spurs and potentially Senegal suffered a setback as Sarr had to be substituted due to injury, with the Africa Cup of Nations looming.

There was another interruption when Dominic Solanke needed treatment after Destiny Udogie's tackle, but Bournemouth continued to fight. Tavernier's free-kick was narrowly flicked wide by Richarlison.

Andoni Iraola's team came closest to scoring in the final moments of the first half when Solanke's shot hit Ben Davies and the crossbar before Pedro Porro deflected Justin Kluivert's strike wide.

Dango Ouattara also had to be substituted, casting doubt on his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations. However, Bournemouth remained on the offensive, and Guglielmo Vicario made a crucial save to deny Solanke's header from a Lewis Cook corner within five minutes of the second half.

The hosts had a chance to extend their lead when a quick counter-attack led to Richarlison's shot going wide.

After some tense moments, Heung-min Son capitalized on a brilliant pass from Lo Celso and scored Tottenham's crucial second goal.

Richarlison then sealed the victory with a clinical finish from Brennan Johnson's low cross, securing Tottenham's third consecutive home win and keeping them within reach of the Premier League's top four.

The hosts further added to Bournemouth's misery by handing them their first loss in eight matches. This defeat halted their impressive streak, which had placed them just three points away from the top half of the table with an extra game to play. However, there was a glimmer of joy for the Cherries as Alex Scott netted his inaugural league goal in the dying moments of the game.