Tottenham vs Bournemouth Report
Scorers: Sarr 67’, Son 84’ (P); Tavernier 42’, Evanilson 65’
Bournemouth were denied a historic Premier League double over Tottenham as a late Son Heung-min penalty rescued a 2-2 draw for the hosts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Despite dominating for large spells, the Cherries were left frustrated as Spurs escaped with an undeserved point, denting Bournemouth’s European qualification hopes.
Bournemouth Start Strong as Spurs Struggle
Cristian Romero made his first appearance in over three months following a thigh injury but almost gifted Bournemouth an opener within the opening 20 seconds.
The Argentine lost possession to Evanilson, but Guglielmo Vicario produced a brilliant save to spare his blushes. The Italian goalkeeper was called into action again shortly after, making another fine stop to deny Justin Kluivert as Spurs endured a nervy start.
While Bournemouth dominated the early exchanges, Tottenham’s first real opportunity came through Dominic Solanke, whose header from a Pedro Porro cross was comfortably gathered by Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Despite gradually growing into the contest, Spurs fell behind to a brilliantly worked Bournemouth goal.
Milos Kerkez intercepted a loose pass from Porro before surging down the left flank and delivering a sublime cross into the box.
Marcus Tavernier arrived at the right moment to clinically slot the ball past Vicario, giving the visitors a deserved lead.
Bournemouth Denied Second Goal as Son Strikes the Post
Andoni Iraola’s side thought they had doubled their lead early in the second half after a stunning passage of free-flowing football resulted in Kluivert finishing in style. However, the goal was disallowed for offside, keeping Spurs in the game.
Seeking a response, Ange Postecoglou introduced Son Heung-min at the break, and the South Korean almost found an equaliser with a trademark cut-inside strike. His deflected effort wrong-footed Kepa but struck the post and went behind.
Evanilson Doubles Bournemouth’s Lead as Spurs Waste Chances
Bournemouth continued to pose a threat, with Kerkez testing Vicario from distance. Tottenham, meanwhile, squandered a golden opportunity to equalise when Pape Matar Sarr horribly miscued a close-range effort, leaving the home crowd frustrated.
The visitors capitalised on Spurs’ wastefulness moments later, doubling their advantage with a well-crafted goal.
Kluivert showed great awareness to manoeuvre his body and slip in Evanilson, who produced a delightful lobbed finish over Vicario to put Bournemouth 2-0 up.
Spurs Fight Back as Son’s Late Penalty Saves a Point
Despite Bournemouth’s dominance, Tottenham were handed a lifeline when Sarr’s attempted cross-shot clipped off the post and into the net, halving the deficit and injecting fresh energy into the hosts.
The Cherries nearly restored their two-goal cushion when Kluivert’s angled strike hit the post, but luck seemed to be turning in Spurs’ favour.
Just as Bournemouth looked set to secure a vital three points, disaster struck in the final moments.
Kepa Arrizabalaga needlessly hauled down Son inside the box, gifting Spurs a penalty. The South Korean kept his composure from 12 yards, dispatching the spot-kick with confidence to complete an unlikely comeback.
Bournemouth Climb to Eighth as Spurs Avoid Unwanted Club Record
The result leaves Bournemouth without a win in their last three PL matches, though they move up one place to eighth.
Meanwhile, Spurs avoided setting a new club record for the most home defeats in a 38-game season, remaining on seven. However, they continue to languish in 13th place, sitting eight points adrift of the top half.
For more info on this game’s outcome, you may also visit:
Spurs v Bournemouth, 2024/25 | Premier League