Harry Winks scored a last-minute winner as Tottenham sealed a dramatic comeback victory over Fulham.
The struggling Cottagers were seconds from an invaluable point, before Winks’ diving header in the third-minute of stoppage time left them seven points adrift of safety.
Fulham even found themselves in front courtesy of an own-goal from Fernando Llorente, who had a horror show in the absence of the injured Harry Kane, and it looked as though Spurs were set to stumble without their missing star players.
But Dele Alli brought Spurs level by heading in from Christian Eriksen’s clever cross and Winks’ last-gasp strike sends them four-points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea.
Playing with greater belief and frustrating Spurs by defending deep and in numbers, the hosts required only 12 minutes to take the lead.
From a right-wing corner Jean Michael Seri crossed to in front of goal, where after Tim Ream had missed a header, under minimal pressure the unfortunate Llorente attempted to clear and instead saw the ball bounce off his shin and beyond Hugo Lloris.
The Spaniard very nearly found a swift response when, from Jan Vertonghen’s superb cross from deep in midfield, his powerful close-range header forced a fine reaction save from Sergio Rico, before Fulham debutant Ryan Babel twice went close.
First he headed over a cross from Cyrus Christie, and then Aleksandar Mitrovic had a goal disallowed for offside when nodding in the rebound as Lloris impressively stopped Andre Schurrle’s volley.
Finally, with Spurs still uncharacteristically unconvincing, he was denied with what would have been Fulham’s best chance yet when Calum Chambers fed him with a backheel and Vertonghen produced a last-ditch challenge to block.
The hosts will rarely have performed better during what has been a difficult season, but perhaps typically it was a defensive error with which they were undermined.
When in the 52nd minute Ream made a hash of a clearance, after Toby Alderweireld’s hopeful long ball, Christian Eriksen collected possession on the right and calmly crossed to Alli, who then seamlessly scored with his fourth header this season.
Mitrovic’s subsequent appeals for a penalty were rightly dismissed by referee Craig Pawson, who judged Lloris to have won the ball with his challenge.
Danny Rose then nearly gave Spurs the lead but saw his right-footed shot deflected onto the crossbar by Denis Odoi.
It was in the 82nd minute when Llorente headed narrowly wide at the back post from Rose’s free-kick and appeared to have wasted their last chance of all three points.
Yet in the third minute of the three added on, substitute Georges-Kevin Nkoudou brilliantly crossed to Winks, who from immediately in front of goal dramatically headed Spurs to victory.