Harry Kane moved top of the Premier League scoring charts this season with a brace to keep his side on leaders Leicester City’s coat tails.
Kane needed only 44 seconds to connect with Kyle Walker’s cross and put Spurs ahead before he took his goal tally to 21 after 16 minutes when Dele Alli picked him out and the England striker calmly slotted home left-footed past Artur Boruc.
Bournemouth, bidding for a fourth straight league win to all but secure a second top-flight season, made little impression and Tottenham extended their lead seven minutes after the break when Boruc parried Kane’s shot and Christian Eriksen was on hand to convert.
Second-placed Tottenham could have further bolstered their goal difference but cruised through the final stages to move back within five points of Leicester with seven matches left
Southampton staged a remarkable recovery from 2-0 down with Sadio Mane scoring twice to damage Liverpool’s hopes of moving into top-four contention in the Premier League on Sunday.
Philippe Coutinho’s curling shot past Fraser Forster gave Liverpool the lead after 17 minutes and they doubled their advantage four minutes later when Daniel Sturridge finished off a swift counter-attack.
Liverpool were well worth their lead but Southampton were a different proposition after the break. Mane had a penalty saved by Simon Mignolet in the 49th minute but he made amends with a close-range finish just past the hour mark.
Christian Benteke should have restored Liverpool’s two-goal advantage but shot wide from a good position.
From then on it was all Southampton as the visitors, looking heavy-legged after their midweek Europa League clash with Manchester United, sat back in the hope of playing out time.
Graziano Pelle shook off the attentions of both Liverpool’s centre backs to equalise with a powerful 20-metre strike seven minutes from time.
Mane snatched the points three minutes later with a precise low finish after Mignolet had failed to clear and the ball was played back into the danger area.
Victory moved Southampton into seventh place on 47 points, three more than Liverpool.
“I do not know about the top four, we are not closer than we were before. There are nine games left, that is 27 points, it is possible, I don’t know,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp told the BBC.
