LONDON — Tottenham ended a four-game winless run in the English Premier League by dumping Stoke 5-1 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Tottenham came into the game having lost as many games this season than in the whole of its previous campaign. But a much-improved display will boost its belief in competing for a top-four place.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side moved back up to fifth, level on points with Arsenal and one behind Liverpool. Both are in action on Sunday.
Harry Kane found the net twice, Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen also scored, and Ryan Shawcross put the ball into both goals.
A stroke of fortune in the 21st minute relieved the tension at Wembley as Son’s effort deflected off Kurt Zouma and Shawcross on its way into the net.
Son then scored unaided eight minutes after halftime after being set up by Dele Alli.
Kane headed in Ben Davies’ cross to make it three just a minute later, and earned his second with a neat finish from just inside the box.
Eriksen got in on the act by finishing calmly after being played through by Son.
Stoke grabbed a consolation when Shawcross headed in 10 minutes from the end, and was just three points clear of the relegation zone.
Swansea 1 West Bromwich Albion 0
SWANSEA, Wales — Swansea rose off the bottom of the English Premier League and eased the pressure on coach Paul Clement by beating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 on Saturday.
The Swansea boss said before West Brom’s visit that his future did not rest on the outcome of this game. But Clement’s joy on the touchline was unconfined when Wilfried Bony smashed home nine minutes from time in a crowded goalmouth.
It was the first time Bony, having scored at Stoke last week, scored in consecutive league games since December 2014 – during his first Swansea spell.
But, more importantly, Swansea’s first win in two months lifted it above Crystal Palace at the foot of the table and to within one point of West Ham and West Brom.
This was Alan Pardew’s second game as West Brom boss since succeeding Tony Pulis.
Burnley 1 Watford 0
BURNLEY, England — Burnley continued its impressive Premier League season with a 1-0 win over 10-man Watford on Saturday.
Scott Arfield scored the only goal of the game for the hosts on the stroke of halftime shortly after Marvin Zeegelaar had been sent off for the visitors.
The two sides have impressed this season with Burnley coming into the game seventh, three points and a place above Watford. The victory gives Sean Dyche’s team a six-point advantage over Watford and keeps it level on points with Tottenham and Arsenal.
The game turned in the closing stages of the first period. Zeegelaar was shown a straight red card for a two-footed tackle on Steven Defour and Burnley took just six minutes to make its advantage count.
Arfield beat Daryl Janmaat before finding the bottom corner and Burnley held on for a fifth home clean sheet of the season to secure victory.
Crystal Palace 2 Bournemouth 2
Crystal Palace extended its unbeaten run at home to five games with a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth, but was left disappointed after Christian Benteke — not the team’s usual penalty-taker — failed to score with a last-minute spot kick.
Huddersfield defeated fellow Premier League debutants Brighton 2-0.
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