Christian Eriksen double helps Tottenham survive scare at Stoke

Stoke 1-2 Tottenham: The Dane opened the scoring before Mame Biram Diouf equalised but the midfielder had the last laugh to earn the visitors all three points

Tottenham survived a scare at Stoke to take all three points (PA)

By his preposterously high standards 322 minutes would probably be classed as a goal drought for Harry Kane – although he came within a whisker of ending it here.

Kane was initially credited with Tottenham’s winner at the Bet365 Stadium as they battled to victory against Stoke after he appeared to get the faintest of touches with a header from Christian Eriksen’s free-kick.

However, the goal was subsequently awarded to Eriksen which means Kane has not found the net since a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on February 25.

Other mere mortals would not even consider it worthy of mention.

"It was my goal," Kane said. "It flicked off my shoulder and went in."

Eriksen added: "He celebrated like it was his goal so I will have to take his word for it."

Eriksen put Tottenham ahead (Reuters)

Mauricio Pochettino, though, was less concerned about the identity of the scorer. "I did’t have time to see on TV but Harry said it touched his shoulder," he said. "But I don’t know. The most important thing is three points to us. If it’s score Harry, or Christian I am happy. Three points for us is massive before the game.

"It puts us a in a very good position in the table to achieve we want to fnish in the top four. I think it was a massive three points."

England international Kane was making his first start since he injured an ankle in Tottenham’s 4-1 win over Bournemouth on 11 March.

There is something about the Stoke which Kane relishes and had eight goals in his last four games against Potters before this encounter, although he looked a little rusty on his return from injury.

Tottenham had actually won their last four Premier League games against Stoke by a four-goal margin - a top-flight record – although they had to work much harder here.

The Dane put Spurs on course for victory (Reuters)

The overlapping Erik Pieters skipped down the left flank and teased a low cross into the penalty area for Diouf only for the Senegalese’s composure to desert him as he lifted a shot over bar.

Diouf put his head in his hands. Lambert put his head in his hands. The majority of the Bet365 Stadium put their heads in their hands.

In Stoke’s situation, and against opponents of Tottenham’s calibre, they can ill afford to squander opportunities of such simplicity.

Lambert watched Stoke grab an equaliser (Reuters)

The alertness of Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland to scamper off his line and save at the feet of Son-Heung Min after he had latched on to a Dele Alli’s intelligent lofted through ball kept the score goalless before the interval.

However, there was an inevitably about Totteham’s approach and six minutes in the second half they carved open the Potters defence to take the lead.

Alli sprung the Stoke offside trap and rather than pick out Kane, who had his back to goal, slid the ball into the path of Eriksen and with Pieters trailing in his wake he crisply struck the ball past Butland.

Eriksen's free kick appeared to get a touch off Kane (Reuters)

Diouf then made amends for his earlier miss moments later when he raced on to Xherdan Shaqiri’s ambitious through ball to equalise for the Potters.

Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris came off his line to clear Shaqiri’s through ball only to collide with Diouf and the ball dropped for the dazed striker to roll it into the vacant net.

The Stoke striker immediately fell to the ground with a head injury but after treatment from the club’s medical staff was fit to continue.

The goal was later awarded to Eriksen (Reuters)

Tottenham regained the advantage just after the hour-hour mark, though, when Eriksen curled a free-kick into the penalty area and Kane appeared to get the faintest of header’s to glance it past Butland.

The goal was credited to the England striker although television replay were inconclusive as to whether the 24-year-old got a feather of a touch on it.

Stoke almost equalised with 11 minutes to go when Shaquiri’s curling free-kick rattled the crossbar but Tottenham held on to claim the points.