Tottenham kept their title hopes alive with a vital 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the last ever North London derby at White Hart Lane.

Mauricio Pochettino's men made it nine league wins on the spin with a dominant display against the Gunners to stay four points behind leaders Chelsea, with just four games to play.

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Spurs responded to Antonio Conte's side's impressive 3-0 success at Everton earlier on Sunday afternoon with a full-throttle start, but were left wondering if it was going to be one of those days as both Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen wasted glorious openings.

But it all changed in just 146 second-half seconds as Harry Kane's penalty followed up Alli's close-range finish on the rebound to put them firmly in control. From then on there was only one winner and it could have been an even greater margin of victory had it not been for the heroics of Petr Cech.

The result guarantees the Lilywhites will finish above Arsene Wenger's men for the first time in 22 years and leaves Arsenal in sixth spot, six points behind fourth-placed Manchester City having played a game less.

Tottenham are running out of matches to make inroads on Chelsea's lead but will hope to crank up the heat when they visit West Ham on Friday evening - with the Blues not in action at home to Middlesbrough until the following Monday night.

TALKING POINT.

St Totteringham's Day is cancelled - but Spurs have bigger fish to fry. The victory brings an end to 22 years of hurt for Spurs fans. They will definitely finish above Arsenal this season, but Pochettino's men will leave it to the supporters to enjoy the bragging rights. Tottenham's focus is on a first league title since the halcyon days of 1961 and they remain on the heels of Chelsea, albeit still four points adrift with just four games left. The Blues will feel they have the easier run-in on paper, but stranger things have happened in the final furlong of a tussle for the top-flight crown.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Dele Alli (Tottenham). Shrugged off the disappointment of a glaring first-half miss to snare the all-important opener. Was much more involved in the second 45 as Tottenham's creative players had more influence.

PLAYER RATINGS

SPURS: Lloris 7, Trippier 7, Alderweireld 7, Vertonghen 8, Davies 7, Dier 7, Wanyama 7, Son 7, Eriksen 8, Alli 8, Kane 8. Subs: Dembele n/a, Walker n/a, Sissoko n/a.

ARSENAL: Cech 8; Gabriel 5, Koscielny 7, Monreal 6; Oxlade-Chamberlain 6, Ramsey 7, Xhaka 6, Gibbs 7; Ozil 5, Sanchez 6; Giroud 5. Subs: Welbeck 6, Bellerin 6, Walcott n/a.



KEY MOMENTS

22' - WHAT A MISS! Kane breaks the offside trap and surges into the right of the area. He eventually gets a shot away, that deflects to Alli who somehow heads wide with the goal at his mercy at the far post.

25' - ANOTHER BIG MISS! Son dances beyond Oxlade-Chamberlain on the left and races into the box. He sees his low shot deflect to Eriksen who can only volley over the top with the net gaping.

39' - ARSENAL CHANCE. Lloris dives to his left to tip Ramsey's 20-yard curler past the post. That was creeping in.

49' - TOTTENHAM CHANCE. Wanyama's dipping shot from long range is superbly tipped over the top by Cech. Spurs work the resulting corner short to Son in the area, but the South Korean drills his low effort into the side netting.

55' - GOAL! TOTTENHAM 1-0 ARSENAL. Alli slides home the rebound after Eriksen's shot from a tight angle was superbly blocked by Cech.

58' - GOAL! TOTTENHAM 2-0 ARSENAL. Kane makes it two from the spot as he flashes his kick low into the bottom corner. The Spurs hitman showed no nerves as he picked himself up after being brought down by Gabriel.

69' - PENALTY SHOUT! Spurs players surround the referee as Sanchez appears to handle it in his own area. The hosts get on with it and Eriksen's right-wing cross is nodded into the side netting by Kane.

78' - TOTTENHAM CHANCE. Almost three. Wanyama leads a counter and plays in Kane who can't beat Cech with a low shot from the right of the area.

KEY STATS

Kane has scored in five consecutive Premier League appearances against Arsenal.

Kane is now the top scoring Spurs player in Premier League North London derbies (6).

Tottenham v Arsenal is now the top-scoring fixture in Premier League history (141).

Dele Alli's goal was his eighth in his last 10 PL apps at White Hart Lane - had scored only three goals in his previous 24 home PL apps.

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