Harry Kane’s penalty saw off a stubborn Burnley side as Tottenham moved above Arsenal into fourth place and kept the Clarets’ survival hopes in the balance.
On a tense afternoon in north London with so much at stake at both ends of the table, Kane’s spot-kick in first-half stoppage time proved enough to give his side three vital points in their bid for Champions League football.
Spurs move two points clear of the Gunners and will stay above them going into the final day of the season unless their north London rivals beat Newcastle at St James’ Park on Monday.
Burnley stay 17th and could fall into the relegation zone later on Sunday if Leeds beat Brighton.
The Clarets had to survive some intense early pressure but began to find their way into the game before it swung on Tottenham’s penalty, awarded on the stroke of half-time.
Davinson Sanchez’s attempt to flick on a ball in the Burnley box saw the ball brush against Ashley Barnes’ outstretched arm.
Referee Kevin Friend did not spot the incident and Harry Kane went close to turning in a Ryan Sessegnon pull-back as play continued, before VAR intervened.
After consulting his monitor, Friend pointed to the spot and Kane made no mistake, planting his penalty into the bottom corner.
That was not the end of Burnley’s threat, however. Clarets keeper Nick Pope made two brilliant saves from Son Heung-min after the break to keep the game in the balance, and his side almost levelled when Ashley Barnes fired against the post.
By the end, the home fans were imploring Friend to blow the final whistle as Burnley pumped balls into their box in the closing seconds, and they got their wish as Spurs held on for an important victory.
