Tottenham 2-1 Norwich report: Son scores winner as Jose Mourinho's side grind out welcome win
Huge Lloris made a surprise return to action as Tottenham bagged a first league win since Boxing Day by grinding out a 2-1 success over Norwich.
Son Heung-min was the hero for Tottenham as they kept their top-four hopes alive - as the South Korean ended a seven-game scoring drought as he nodded home 11 minutes from time just when Spurs were on the rack.
They had taken a first-half lead through Dele Alli, but Teemu Pukki's penalty drew Norwich level and it was the visitors who were in the ascendancy.
Spurs rallied to get the win, their first in the Premier League since Boxing Day which cuts the gap on Chelsea to six points, but not many people, not least Jose Mourinho, will think they are capable of finishing in the top four on this showing.
They did at least find the net, their first in the league since Harry Kane's possible season-ending injury and Mourinho will hope by the time they play Manchester City in 10 days they will have a replacement in.
Real Sociedad striker Willian Jose is the latest target to be linked and the Brazilian was left out of the La Liga side's Copa Del Rey win over Espanyol at his own request.
For Norwich, defeat will be hard to take as they missed the chance to cut the gap to safety, which still stands at six points.
In the absence of a replacement for Kane, Mourinho has been drilling his side on playing without a number nine as they try to find a way to score goals.
Mourinho had said that his side's plight would be much easier if they were able to score the first goal and his frustration would have only increased on the half-hour after Son's wasteful finish following a fine through ball by Lucas Moura.
But eight minutes later he got his wish as Alli, who was the last Spurs player to score from open play in the Premier League, opened the scoring.
Norwich kept going and were awarded a penalty after Ryan Sessegnon clipped Max Aarons.
VAR took over two minutes to decide it was a foul and Pukki was a relieved man after Hugo Lloris got a hand to the spot-kick but could not keep it out.
Spurs fans were booing after another Norwich attack but moments later they were cheering as their side regained their lead in the 79th minute.
It was completely against the run of play but Lo Celso played a delicious reverse pass to Alli, whose deflected shot looped up to the far post where Son could not miss.
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Norwich City Opta stats
- Tottenham Hotspur have beaten Norwich in three consecutive home league games for the first time since a run of five between 1989 and 1993.
- Norwich are now winless in their last 21 Premier League visits to London (D6 L15), losing each of the last seven.
- Spurs have now won each of their last 10 home Premier League games on a Wednesday since defeat against Leicester in January 2016.
- Spurs’ Son Heung-min has been directly involved in 11 goals (6 goals & 5 assists) in his last 10 Premier League matches against newly-promoted sides.
- Norwich striker Teemu Pukki has now scored against each of last season's top five Premier League teams (Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal) - he is the only player to have done so in 2019-20.
- Spurs defender Serge Aurier has assisted seven goals in all competitions this season – the only Premier League defender to set up more is Trent Alexander-Arnold (11).
- Dele Alli's opener for Spurs was their first Premier League goal from open play since Alli himself netted against Brighton on Boxing Day; 6 hours and 55 minutes of game-time separated the two goals.
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