Bragging rights go to Tottenham

TOBY Alderweireld’s 81st-minute header sealed a 2-1 Premier League victory for Tottenham Hotspur against Arsenal in the first north London derby in their new stadium yesterday.

The match appeared to be heading for a draw but Alderweireld claimed all three points for Spurs to move José Mourinho’s side above Arsenal into eighth place in the battle for local pride.

With three games left to play in the 2019/20 season, Tottenham have 52 points to Arsenal’s 50, but are seven points behind fourth-placed Leicester City.

Arsenal took the lead in spectacular fashion with Alexandre Lacazette’s 17th-minute pile-driver, but they were pegged back almost immediately as Son Heung-min punished a defensive error.

Both sides were denied by the woodwork and Arsenal were in the ascendancy after the break before Tottenham’s strong finish sealed a third successive home win since the restart.

Earlier, Aston Villa revived their hopes of avoiding relegation as two goals by Egyptian forward Trezeguet gave them a 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace.

The result lifted Villa one place to 18th on 30 points from 35 games but they are still four points adrift of safety, while Palace stayed 14th on 42 points after a fifth straight loss.

Palace made a bright start and had a goal controversially disallowed in the seventh minute after a VAR check deemed that the ball came off Mamadou Sakho’s arm, although it appeared to strike his shoulder.

Trezeguet fired Villa ahead in first-half stoppage time when he met a Conor Hourihane free-kick at the far post and side-footed it superbly into the opposite corner from close range.

The home side had a penalty awarded by referee Martin Atkinson overturned after a lengthy VAR check before Trezeguet doubled their lead in the 59th minute with a clinical finish from seven metres.

Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita denied Hourihane and Jack Grealish with a string of saves and his counterpart Pepe Reina did well to keep out efforts by Christian Benteke and Patrick van Aanholt in a lively game.

And in yesterday’s early game, Wolverhampton Wanderers boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League with a 3-0 home win over Everton.

Victory lifted Nuno Espirito Santo’s side up to sixth in the standings.

Wolves took the lead in first-half stoppage time when Daniel Podence was fouled by Lucas Digne and Raul Jimenez maintained his 100 percent penalty conversion rate this season to score his 16th goal of the league campaign.

Leander Dendoncker doubled the lead straight after the interval when he directed a glancing header past the outstretched arm of Everton keeper Jordan Pickford.

Diogo Jota made it 3-0 after midfielder Ruben Neves found him with a pinpoint cross-field ball and the Portuguese forward chested it down before firing an emphatic halfvolley past Pickford at the near post.

Everton remained in 11th place with three matches left to play in the season.

FIXTURES

Today: Manchester United v Southampton (9pm SA time kick-off)

Tomorrow: Chelsea v Norwich City