Alli double helps Spurs to win

Tottenham Hotspur have kept up the pressure on the Premier League’s top four after coming from behind to beat 10-man Southampton 4-1 yesterday thanks to two goals from Dele Alli and one apiece by Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

Alli cancelled out Virgil Van Dijk’s second-minute opener before Kane fired Tottenham ahead and missed a penalty after Southampton winger Nathan Redmond hacked down Alli and was sent off.

England midfielder Alli produced a superb individual performance and stressed it was crucial that Spurs kept their composure after falling behind.

‘‘It’s never nice to concede a goal that early in the game and it was important that we didn’t lose our heads and didn’t panic,’’ he told Sky Sports.

Spurs, who stayed fifth in the table with 36 points from 18 matches, one behind arch-rivals Arsenal and three adrift of thirdplaced Manchester City, visit 10th-placed Watford on Monday (NZT).

Southampton, who are eighth with 24 points, had Tottenham on the ropes in the opening 15 minutes as Van Dijk headed in a James Ward-prowse freekick before Redmond shot just wide of the far post.

But the tide turned after Alli rose to head home a deflected Moussa Sissoko cross from the left and Kane fired the visitors in front with a thumping header from a corner.

The England striker then blazed his spot-kick over the bar after Redmond was dismissed for hauling down Alli.

Substitute Son rounded off a swift break for Tottenham’s third goal in the 85th minute and Alli put the icing on the cake two minutes later with an equally superb finish into the bottom left corner after neat footwork.