Eriksen shouldering the blame for Kane misfire!
STOKE were not the only ones left feeling robbed. The Potters’ fans, who do indignation louder than anyone else, raged at referee Graham Scott all afternoon. Their howls of protest were matched by those of Harry Kane, whose claims that he got a touch on Christian Eriksen’s free-kick for the deciding goal also fell on deaf ears.
There may have been doubt over Tottenham’s winner but the result leaves no confusion over two matters.
Firstly, Spurs will be in the Champions League next season. They are 11 points clear of Chelsea and may well be looking to take second place, let along fourth.
Secondly, Stoke are in serious danger of seeing their ten-year stay in the top flight come to an end.
The hosts hustled and bustled but the spectre of a first spell outside the elite for a decade looms large in the Potteries.
There was a ray of hope, when the otherwise useless Mame Diouf tapped into an empty net to level after Eriksen’s drive had given Tottenham the lead following a poor first half, but it faded when the Dane’s free-kick evaded everyone to go in.
‘It was my goal,’ claimed Kane. ‘It flicked off my shoulder.’
The Premier League’s match centre disagreed. No wonder the England man argued.
The goal would have put him on 36 across all competitions, one better than last year’s record.
It would have also increased his Premier League tally to 25, four behind Liverpool’s prolific Mo Salah. Perhaps most importantly, it would have ended a barren, by his standards, run of 322 minutes without scoring which dates back to February 25.
Mauricio Pochettino, understandably, was unconcerned.
‘He said it touched his shoulder but the most important thing is the three points for us,’ he said.
‘It was massive for us and puts in really good position to achieve what we want. A massive, massive three points.’