Harry Kane celebrates after scoring the second goal for Tottenham during his team’s match against West Ham yesterday.
DPA/London
Liverpool boosted their hopes of a top-four spot and Champions League football next season after they won 2-0 at Southampton yesterday.
Goals from Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling sealed victory for the visitors, lifting them to sixth, one point behind Southampton.
Coutinho put Liverpool in front with a stunning strike early on and Sterling finished them off with a second late in the second half.
Harry Kane came to Tottenham’s rescue with a last-minute equalizer as they drew 2-2 with West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday.
Goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho put West Ham in control but a freak goal by Danny Rose before Kane, following up after his penalty was saved, pinched a draw for the home side.
The result left Tottenham still sixth, three points behind fourth-placed Manchester United in the battle for a Champions League spot, while West Ham remain eighth.
“I think we deserved the draw,” Kane said. “We dug deep at 2-0 down and it shows our character. We were sloppy in the first half but at 2-0 down we started playing better and knew what we had to do. Not one head dropped.
“We knew we had half an hour to go, knew if we got one then the second could come. We’re delighted to get the draw.”
The result was nevertheless harsh on West Ham, who had dominated the game before Rose’s bizarre shot took a big bounce over goalkeeper Adrian.
And Adrian was unlucky again as he saved Rose’s initial penalty, awarded after a foul by Alex Song, only for it to rebound kindly into the striker’s path for a simple finish.
“The ball bounced nicely for me, I got in front of Alex Song, was about to shoot and got tumbled over,” Kane said of the penalty decision.
“It was a nervous penalty to take but when your luck is in your luck is in. My heart was in my mouth when the keeper saved the first shot but it fell nicely for the rebound.”
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce said his side had been desperately unlucky not to take all three points.
“They were so lucky today,” he said. “One with the first goal - Danny Rose has mishit it - and the second goal Adrian saved the penalty and it has gone straight back to Harry Kane.”
Allardyce also took issue with the penalty decision and with Kane for falling easily under Song’s challenge.
“You can’t put your hands on anyone today otherwise they will go to ground and make the referee’s mind up,” he admitted.
“You can argue whether Alex Song has made enough contact for Harry Kane to go down, but when you’re desperate like Tottenham are, you get touched and the player is going to fall over.
“Maybe we should be more like Tottenham - we stay on our feet.”
The race for the Champions League qualification spots just got hotter.