Tottenham 2 Bournemouth 3: Spurs suffer HUGE Champions League blow with last-second winner from for Ouattara
TOTTENHAM are about as reliable holding onto a lead as dubious dog-owner Richarlison.
This was the third time in four games Spurs have thrown away winning positions to drop points, having somehow drawn at Southampton and Everton.
And given their horror fixture list to come, with Newcastle, Manchester United and Liverpool all by the end of April, they can surely kiss the top four goodbye.
Son Heung-min had put the North Londoners ahead before goals from Mathias Vina and Dominic Solanke provided that familiar sinking feeling.
Ex-Bournemouth man Arnaut Danjuma looked to have salvaged a draw with a fine strike in the 88th minute - yet there was still time for Cherries sub Dango Outtara to win it.
It provided Spurs with another bit of bad press in a week where Richarlison had provided another negative headline - though not one fans would have been expecting.
The Sun revealed the Brazil striker is facing an RSPCA investigation over claims his pooches are a noisy nuisance.
His neighbours in a leafy North London road even claimed his Siberian husky and chocolate labrador escaped on a daily basis and were even seen running down a nearby A-road.
Richarlison thought he had turned hero here when teeing up Danjuma, only for Outtara to outdo them both in injury time.
It was arguably Spurs’ worst result of the season, but for Bournemouth, it continued their remarkable climb to salvation.
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This was their fourth win in seven games, having previously conquered Liverpool, Fulham and Leicester, pushing Gary O’Neil’s side six points clear of the drop zone.
Stellini said on Friday he wanted his side to go on the attack to get the fans behind them.
Supporters have been crying out for more thrilling football after the pragmatic fare served up by predecessor Antonio Conte this season.
There has been anger too from the fanbase over the ownership, with regular chants ordering chairman Daniel Levy to “get out of our club”.
Stellini’s side did make a fast start, with Son breaking the deadlock inside 14 minutes.
Clement Lenglet’s chip over the top of the Bournemouth defence set away Ivan Perisic who had acres of space and plenty of time to cut it back to his team-mate Son.
The South Korean, watched on by his new international manager Jurgen Klinsmann, then fired home via a deflection of Jack Stephens.
It was his 101st Premier League goal, having joined the hundred club last week with a stunner against Brighton, and his eight of the season.
You could feel the confidence oozing into Spurs’ No7 as he then beat Chris Mepham all ends up with some stepovers but was denied by Neto’s fine stop at the near post.
Son also teed up Harry Kane but Bournemouth’s ex-Barcelona keeper was equal to the task there too.
But Bournemouth have proven themselves to be no mugs in recent weeks and with Spus’ defence looking fragile all season long, they knew they were not out of it.
Wing-back Marcus Tavernier stung Hugo Lloris’ palms with a dipping effort just before the half-hour as the Cherries took the game to their hosts.
Interim boss Stellini was then dealt a blow as Clement Lenglet fell to the turf off the ball holding his leg and had to come off for Davinson Sanchez.
The Colombian has looked shaky all season whenever he has played and it was no different here.
The £42million man was involved in Bournemouth’s leveller, though the blame really has to go to the man he passed it to, Pedro Porro.
Spurs’ wing-back dribbled into trouble and lost the ball to Vina, who was then played in by Solanke’s inch-perfect pass and lifted it over Lloris.
Bournemouth felt they should have had a penalty just before half-time when Ryan Christie went down under Cristian Romero’s challenge, but, instead, the Scot was booked.
The visitors had their own injury problems shortly into the second half when goal-scorer Vina had to come off.
But they were in dreamland shortly afterwards when Sanchez inadvertently set up Solanke when attempting to nick the ball off Christie, and the ex-Liverpool man applied a neat finish.
Stellini knew he had to go for broke and Sanchez was made the fall guy.
Just 22 minutes after coming on, the defender was hooked for ex-Bournemouth man Arnaut Danjuma.
In fact, Stellini had all five of his forwards - Kane, Son, Dejan Kulusevski, Danjuma and Richarlison - on with 15 minutes to go.
It looked to have paid off when Richarlison flicked on for Danjuma to lash home.
But Spurs still managed to make a dog’s dinner of the result when Bournemouth countered in stoppage time, Outtara keeping his cool to fire past Lloris and spark wild celebrations from the men in red and black.
See how the action unfolded at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium below...