Sarr injury taints win as Tottenham brush aside Bournemouth
The game got off to an open start with both teams having chances, and it took just nine minutes for Spurs to take the lead.
Rodrigo Bentancur cut out Neto’s lax pass before Giovani Lo Celso poked the ball to Pape Matar Sarr, who capitalised to score his second goal of the season - both of which have been openers.
Bournemouth efforts for a swift equaliser conjured no more than a Marcus Tavernier effort that trickled wide, while Emerson Royal forced Neto into a strong save with a venomous strike at the other end.
Spurs - and potentially Senegal - suffered a blow shortly after the half-hour mark, as Sarr went off injured with the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) looming.
There was another disruption when Dominic Solanke required treatment following Destiny Udogie’s recovery tackle, but the Cherries refused to fade with Tavernier’s free-kick being flicked marginally wide by Richarlison.
Andoni Iraola’s side came closer than they had all half in its final moments, when Solanke’s effort hit Ben Davies and the crossbar on its way behind, before Pedro Porro deflected Justin Kluivert’s strike wide.
Dango Ouattara also went off, putting his AFCON hopes in doubt, but the Cherries remained on the front foot with Guglielmo Vicario conjuring a big save to deny Solanke’s header from a Lewis Cook corner within five minutes of the restart.
The hosts then missed an opportunity to earn some breathing space when a blistering counter culminated in Richarlison’s shot dribbling wide.
Following further scares, Heung-min Son latched onto a divine Lo Celso pass and fired across Neto for Spurs’ all-important second.
Richarlison then applied a clinical first-time finish to Brennan Johnson’s low cross to wrap up Spurs’ third consecutive home win to stay tantalisingly close to the PL’s top-four.
The hosts also inflicted Bournemouth’s first defeat in eight, ending a superb run that leaves the Cherries just three points outside of the top-half with a game in hand, and they at least had a moment to celebrate when Alex Scott scored his first PL goal late on.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham Hotspur)