Tottenham ARE title contenders after Son Heung-min's late show snatches win at Watford

Kampusbet  ~   " Tottenham ARE title contenders after Son Heung-min's late show snatches win at Watford "

Agen Klik4D  ~   Forget the top four. The title challenge that so many believed was beyond Tottenham is very much a reality.

This was a contest billed ­beforehand as a surprise Champions League six-pointer.

For Mauricio Pochettino’s men, who have quietly stalked the leaders for some time now, it finished as a dramatic three points to put them firmly in the race for top spot.

The naysayers will suggest we have been here before on far too many occasions with Spurs to get carried away.

And Pochettino was keen to keep a lid on expectation despite his men being on the shoulders of Leicester and Arsenal by the final whistle.

It is a long time, however, since they have had a side – a squad, ­actually – like this one: packed with character, cutting edge and defensive stability.

They may not have the star names boasted by Arsenal and Manchester City. 

What they do have is an appetite for work that has given them a great chance this season.

Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores gushed afterwards about the “conditions” that he believes Tottenham have to follow through with a title challenge.

Now it is in the hands of the north Londoners.

South Korean forward Son Heung-min struck in the 89th minute, flicking the ball through the legs of ex-Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes after Kieran Trippier’s cross, to take all three points back down the M1.

Just moments before, Ben Watson’s corner had almost crept in for the Hornets.

Goalline technology showed the ball was only inches away from going in.

Erik Lamela had opened the scoring for the visitors in the 17th minute, racing clear after Dele Alli had capitalised on a Craig Cathcart mistake to feed him.

Bandar Judi Online Klik4D  ~   Gomes appeared to give Lamela an awful lot of the Watford goal to aim at. The Argentine accepted the invitation, using defender Miguel Britos to disguise his intentions before stroking the ball into the bottom corner.

Even when Odion Ighalo grabbed an impressive equaliser shortly before the break, Pochettino’s men – helped by the second-half dismissal of Nathan Ake – continued pushing.

Ighalo’s goal was indeed a peach. Pochettino had shown Watford the respect of changing his formation to deal with the Hornets’ free-scoring attack.

Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen were joined by Eric Dier who slipped back from midfield to ­centre-half. For much of the first period it paid off.

Then Ighalo pounced, bulldozing his way past Dier before poking the ball beyond keeper Hugo Lloris.

The effort took his tally to 14 for the season and 30 in 2015.

As the tension mounted in this fiercely-contested affair, tempers boiled over and players lost their heads.

The Watford fans howled their frustration at referee Anthony Taylor over Ake’s sending off.

But the left-back, on loan from Chelsea, went in high and ­dangerously on Lamela. He can have no complaints.

It was a shame because the hosts acquitted themselves well yet again here, refusing to be overawed and showing the kind of quality that helped them to four wins from their previous five.

But Tottenham deserved their victory and are in the title hunt by right.

With the transfer window opening this week they have the chance to bring in the quality to give ­themselves more depth and even greater belief.