Son Heung-min scored a late penalty as Tottenham Hotspur recovered from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw with high-flying AFC Bournemouth.
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Marcus Tavernier put Andoni Iraola’s side ahead three minutes before half-time, with his finish made simple by Milos Kerkez’s sensational pinpoint delivery.
The Cherries doubled their advantage in the second half through Evanilson’s dinked effort, only for Pape Sarr to reduce the deficit soon after with a fortuitous cross that sailed into the net.
But in the 82nd minute, Kepa brought down Son inside the area, and the Spurs captain stepped up to convert straight down the middle and seal a share of the spoils.
Bournemouth miss the chance to go sixth in the Premier League and instead only climb one place to eighth, above Newcastle United on goal difference. Spurs, meanwhile, stay 13th ahead of Manchester United's later match against Arsenal.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 |
Brighton
BHA
|
28 | +6 | 46 |
| 7 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
29 | -4 | 45 |
| 8 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
28 | +13 | 44 |
| 9 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
27 | +8 | 44 |
| 10 |
Fulham
FUL
|
28 | +3 | 42 |
| 11 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
28 | +3 | 39 |
| 12 |
Brentford
BRE
|
28 | +4 | 38 |
| 13 |
Spurs
TOT
|
28 | +14 | 34 |
How the match unfolded
Spurs almost endured a nightmare start when Cristian Romero’s slack pass was picked off by Evanilson, but the returning defender’s blushes were spared by a strong Guglielmo Vicario save.
However, Bournemouth did take advantage of their opponents’ sloppy play in the 42nd minute, catching Spurs on the break as Kerkez’s excellent run and cross from the left was finished by the sliding Tavernier.
After seeing a Justin Kluivert strike ruled out for offside following a VAR check, the Cherries doubled their lead in the 65th minute, the Dutch creator slipping in Evanilson, who dinked the ball over Vicario.
Spurs, though, gave themselves a lifeline two minutes later when Sarr’s attempted cross looped over Kepa, and that would not be the Bournemouth goalkeeper's last involvement.
Kepa rushed out to try and claim a throughball but instead clipped the feet of Son, with the Spurs captain dusting himself down to equalise from 12 yards.
Spurs' super subs salvage a point
Spurs have endured a difficult time with injuries lately, but with many players returning, Ange Postecoglou now has the ability to affect the game from the bench.
His team were buoyed by the returns of Dominic Solanke and Romero to their starting line-up, but the latter endured a difficult start and showed signs of rust, with the Argentinian making his first Premier League start since a 4-3 defeat to Chelsea back in December.
Postecoglou’s side also looked unassured in possession, with several loose passes picked off by Bournemouth. The Cherries’ ferocious press caused Spurs plenty of early problems, and they were indebted to Vicario for making a couple of big saves.
Indeed, it was Pedro Porro’s giveaway that led to Bournemouth flying forward for the opener, with the Spurs players leaving the field to boos from their supporters at half-time.
But the introductions of Lucas Bergvall and Son injected some dynamism into the team, and both players clipped the upright before Sarr’s fortuitous strike gave Spurs hope.
Son would ultimately have the final say, with the result perhaps the confidence boost Spurs needed ahead of Thursday's huge UEFA Europa League clash with AZ Alkmaar.
Cherries' European hopes falter
Talk of Bournemouth gatecrashing the European picture gathered pace as they made a strong start to 2025, but their momentum has faltered somewhat, having now gone three Premier League matches without a win.
Having seen three chances come and go in the opening five minutes, Bournemouth stamped their authority on this contest and looked fitter and sharper than their under-pressure hosts.
After Solanke’s tame header into Kepa's gloves gave them a warning, Bournemouth hit the front following a real moment of quality from Kerkez, who put the ball on a plate for Tavernier to tuck home.
Iraola’s side had another sensational counter-attacking strike chalked off early in the second half due to an offside decision against Antoine Semenyo in the build-up, though they shook off that setback to go 2-0 up through Evanilson.
Sarr’s goal swung the balance of the contest, though Bournemouth had their chances at 2-1. Kerkez smashed the woodwork with a cross before Kluivert struck the base of the post, and they were punished for their wastefulness after Kepa's rash challenge on Son.
Though this will feel like two points dropped, Bournemouth will continue their quest for European football when they face Brentford next week.
Club reports
Spurs report | Bournemouth report
What the managers said
Ange Postecoglou: "It was a different kind of struggle for us today. Bournemouth pressed really well and we were really sloppy with the ball at times which allowed them to pin us back. At 2-0 we had a bit of a mountain to climb. It was a chaotic game today and the boys showed a real mentality. It would have been really easy at 2-0, with the atmosphere in the stadium, to let it slip away from us but they fought hard and got themselves back in the game."
Andoni Iraola: "Today we feel we lost two very important points. We tested the keeper two times in the first five minutes but we need to capitalise. We had chances to score the third one and the fourth one but we couldn't take our chances. We are playing well, creating chances and controlling games but we have to find a way to win them. I hope we don't play as well next time and find a way to win against Brentford."
Next PL fixtures
Key facts
This afternoon's comeback was the 26th different time that Spurs have come back to salvage at least a point after being 2+ goals down in a Premier League match (W9 D17), with only Man Utd doing so on more occasions in the history of the competition (30).
No team has scored more open-play goals from crosses in the Premier League this season than Bournemouth’s eight, with three of those being assisted by Kerkez.
Only Liverpool (35) and Arsenal (26, prior to playing Man Utd later today) have picked up more points away from home than Bournemouth in the Premier League this season (23), whilst only Liverpool (38) have scored more goals on the road than the Cherries (30). Bournemouth have now netted 30+ goals away from home in a single Premier League campaign for the first time ever.
Kluivert’s assist was his 18th goal involvement in the Premier League this season (12 goals, 6 assists). Only Callum Wilson (23 in 2018/19), Solanke (22 in 2023/24) and Ryan Fraser (21 in 2018/19) have been involved in more goals in a single Premier League season for the Cherries.
