Saints draw with Spurs despite brace from Pelle
Print Edition
TOTTENHAM Hotspur remains a point above Southampton in the Premier League’s Europa League qualifying race after twice cancelling out goals by striker Graziano Pelle in a 2-2 draw yesterday.
Pelle exploited mistakes by Ryan Mason and Ben Davies to poke hosts Southampton in front in the 29th minute, but Erik Lamela equalized just before half-time when Eric Dier’s cross hit his arm and flew past Kelvin Davis.
Pelle restored the visitors’ lead with a thumping header from substitute Shane Long’s cross 20 minutes into the second half, only for Nacer Chadli to level five minutes later after running onto a pass from Dier.
“I was focused on my job, but it was a very tough and emotional game for me,” said Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who left Southampton last year.
“It was difficult because I still love Southampton and I have very good memories here.”
The hostile welcome that some had predicted for Pochettino did not materialize, although the Argentine received a few jeers upon his arrival in the dug-out and was the target of taunts from the home fans.
The low-key reception was perhaps due to the fact that both of these sides find their seasons in danger of petering out.
However, the result left Spurs a point above Liverpool in fifth place in the table with 58 points from 34 matches.
Southampton also stole above Liverpool, on goal difference, but Brendan Rodgers’s side now has two games in hand on both Southampton and Spurs, starting with a trip to West Bromwich Albion later yesterday.
The teams finishing fifth and sixth will qualify for the Europa League, while victory for Arsenal over Aston Villa in the FA Cup final would also send the team finishing seventh into Europe’s second-tier competition.
Defending champion Manchester City can climb above Arsenal and Manchester United to second place if it wins at home to FA Cup finalist Villa. Arsenal hosts leader Chelsea today, while United travels to Everton.
Elsewhere yesterday, third-bottom Leicester City was going in search of a fourth consecutive win away to bottom club Burnley in a potentially pivotal relegation tussle while relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers was hosting West Ham United.
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