Tottenham 3-1 Swansea

Image source, Getty Images

  • Author, Peter Shuttleworth
  • Role, 91热爆 Sport Wales

Emmanuel Adebayor's double helped reignite Tottenham Hotspur's Champions League push with a dominant Premier League win over Swansea City.

Rafael van der Vaart opened the scoring, side-footing home a loose ball from 20 yards, as Spurs looked to capitalise on Arsenal's slip-up at QPR.

Gylfi Sigurdsson's 25-yard stunner drew Swansea level before Adebayor headed Spurs ahead from van der Vaart's ball.

Video caption, Harry Redknapp praises Tottenham work ethic

Adebayor sealed the win as he nodded in Aaron Lennon's deep cross late on.

The Spurs striker's two second-half headers ended a five-match winless league run as Harry Redknapp's side move level on 58 points with north London rivals and third-placed Arsenal.

Tottenham had started unlike a team which had not won in the league for seven weeks, and winger Gareth Bale instantly set about making it an uncomfortable afternoon for Swans right-back Angel Rangel.

And it was Bale who provided his ninth assist this season as van der Vaart coolly side-footed his 11th goal of the season past Swansea keeper Michel Vorm.

Luka Modric's sublime pass cut out Rangel, Bale's cross to Adebayor was blocked by Ashley Williams but van der Vaart punished the visitors from the loose ball.

Williams could have made amends moments later but the unmarked Wales international was not able to head Sigurdsson's corner goalwards.

But Swansea had Vorm, so often their hero this season, to thank for keeping out Younus Kaboul on the half-hour as the Dutch goalkeeper tipped the Spurs defender's header around the post.

Bale fired just over twice while Modric narrowly missed a header as Spurs tried to turn their dominance into goals.

And Tottenham may have doubled their lead if Modric had played in an unmarked Adebayor at the end of the first-half. Instead, the Croatian playmaker's mis-hit shot dribbled wide.

Yet, as much as Spurs were on top in a pulsating first half, Swansea controlled the opening of the second period.

Sigurdsson gave Tottenham a warning of what was to come when the Iceland international brought the best out of Brad Friedel.

His stunning left-footed strike was flying into the top corner but the veteran American keeper tipped the effort on to his left-hand post and wide.

Within minutes, Sigurdsson has beaten Friedel with an equally beautiful effort.

Video caption, Brendan Rodgers proud despite Swansea defeat at Tottenham

Wayne Routledge teed him up, after Joe Allen's shot had been blocked, and Sigurdsson's strike bounced under Kaboul and looped wide of Friedel into the right-hand corner of the net.

The leveller spurred Tottenham's comeback and only another superb Vorm save denied a near-post van der Vaart header from Bale's teasing left-wing cross.

Spurs pressed again and just as Adebayor was ready to tap Bale's low left-wing cross into an empty net, Williams' last-gasp challenge denied the hosts.

Adebayor, though, was not to be denied his 13th goal of the season as he rose unmarked to head van der Vaart's pinpoint right-wing corner into the Swansea net.

Adebayor's 14th was similar as he guided Lennon's cross into the far corner of Vorm's net.